The Howick Hornets are a rugby league club based in Howick, New Zealand. The premier team competes in Auckland Rugby League's senior competitions. The club currently competes in the top division, the Fox Memorial Trophy. The club has a rivalry with neighbours, the Pakuranga Jaguars. The Howick Hornets are the current Fox Memorial champions and hold the Roope Rooster challenge trophy.
History
The Howick Rugby League FootballClub was founded in 1961 with the team playing at the Howick Domain. Former New Zealand representativeCliff Johnson was the club's first chairman. The club first entered a senior team into Auckland Rugby League competitions in 1964 under coach Tommy Baxter. In 1965 Paparoa Park, the club's current home ground, was created with the help of the Howick Borough Council. Between 1978 and 1985 the club competed in senior competitions as Eastern United, a combined team with the Pakuranga club. The team was coached by former Kiwi Murray Eade. The club won the Sharman Cup, the second division title, in 2005 and 2009. In 2005 they defeated the Bay Roskill Vikings 20-16. In 2009 the team won the Sharman Cup by defeating the Glenora Bears 19-12 in extra time. They also won the Auckland Rugby League's 2009 Club of the Year award for the first time ever. In 2010 the club won promotion to the Fox Memorial Trophy and finished third before losing to the Te Atatu Roosters in a semi final. This was the first time in the club's 49-year history that they had competed in the top division of the Auckland Rugby League. During the season the Hornets defeated the Mt Albert Lions for the first time in three decades and defeated the Otahuhu Leopards for the first time in the club's history. They also hosted a Māori Television broadcast from Paparoa Park for the first time. Six players from the Hornets were named in the Counties Manukau representative team to compete in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. In 2011 the Hornets won the Fox Memorial, defeating the Otahuhu Leopards 24-14 in the Grand Final.
