South Taranaki RSA is a friendly community club on Princes Street in the heart of Hāwera, welcoming members, affiliates and their guests to connect, relax and support veterans. The club rooms offer a pool table and snooker table, dart boards, a children's play area and a free jukebox, with regular raffles plus live entertainment and events keeping things lively.
The club is currently celebrating its centennial and will unveil two statues in September in the new RSA Park, alongside a Memorial Area that grows with community-donated items. A function room with a commercial kitchen is available for hire — ideal for weddings, birthdays, family reunions, anniversaries or meetings — and sports and social sections give members more ways to meet like-minded people while having fun.
The club rooms are open Tuesday to Saturday from 3pm till late and closed on Mondays and Sundays, with extra hours available on request.
Step inside the club rooms at 130 Princes Street and you'll quickly see why the South Taranaki RSA describes itself as Hawera's most friendly club. This is a place built around people — members, affiliates and their guests dropping in for a game of pool, a raffle draw, a night of live entertainment or simply a quiet spot to relax at the end of the day. The club's own tagline, 'connecting the community and supporting veterans', captures exactly what it stands for, and the warm, welcoming atmosphere starts at the door.
The South Taranaki RSA carries a proud history, and the club is currently celebrating its centennial — one hundred years of standing beside veterans and serving the Hāwera community. The milestone will be marked with the unveiling of two statues in September in the new RSA Park, adding to a Memorial Area that continues to grow as items are donated by the community all the time.
That living connection to service men and women, past and present, sits at the heart of everything the RSA does — from support services for veterans to the everyday camaraderie of the club rooms. It's a story the wider district has clearly got behind, too: a long list of local businesses, from trades and construction firms to motels and funeral directors, feature among the club's official supporters, a reminder of how woven the RSA is into South Taranaki life.
There's always something happening at the South Taranaki RSA. Cue sports fans are well looked after, with both a pool table and a snooker table kept well maintained and ready for a social game with friends. Dart boards give players the chance to practice their aim and join in with others, while a free jukebox keeps the music going.
Families are genuinely welcome as well. A dedicated children's play area means parents can relax and catch up with friends while the younger ones stay entertained, making the club rooms an easy option for an all-ages afternoon or evening.
Raffles are a much-loved club tradition, with regular draws offering great prizes, and the entertainment calendar keeps things lively with regular live acts and events at the club rooms. Because the line-up changes, it pays to check the club's website to see what's coming up before you visit.
Beyond day-to-day club life, the South Taranaki RSA doubles as a flexible events venue. Its function room comes complete with a commercial kitchen and is ideal for weddings, birthdays, family reunions, anniversaries or meetings — a practical, community-minded setting for celebrations and gatherings of all kinds. Interested groups can contact the club directly to discuss hire and extra opening hours.
For those who want to get more involved, the club runs sports and social sections that members can join — one or several at a time. Sections are a great way to meet like-minded people while having fun, and they add another layer to the club's busy calendar.
Membership is open and actively encouraged. New members are always welcome, and joining supports the RSA's work for veterans while unlocking member benefits and a deeper connection to the local community. As the club puts it, your membership makes a difference.
Visiting is refreshingly simple: all members, affiliates and their guests are welcome to pop in and enjoy the club atmosphere. The club rooms open Tuesday through Saturday from 3pm until late and are closed on Mondays and Sundays, with extra hours available on request for functions and special occasions.
Whether you're calling in for a frame of snooker, a raffle ticket and a catch-up, a night of live entertainment or scouting a venue for the next family gathering, you'll find an easy-going welcome waiting at the South Taranaki RSA on Princes Street — a club that has spent a century bringing its community together and shows no sign of slowing down.