First Canterbury representative rugby team

Canterbury's first representative rugby team, 1876.

Back row: Donald Potts, H.W. Moore, Geo. H. Lee, W.V. Milton, Geoffrey Potts, C.H. Croxton, Ambrose P(?)

Middle row: Jack Barker, Edward Chapman, J.R. Evans, John Anderson (captain), T. Walter Stringer

Front row: E. Cotterell, H. McCardell, R. Hamilton, J.D. Milton, L.M. Ollivier

The Canterbury Rugby Union was established in 1879 and ranks with Wellington as the oldest rugby union in the country. Canterbury has always been one of the powerhouses of New Zealand rugby, and is second only to Auckland in number of Ranfurly Shield victories and national provincial championships won.