On May the 8th, 1892, the West Coast representative side played its first game ever in the unions history, when it took on the touring Sydenham RFC in a non-first class fixture at Victoria Park in Greymouth. 

The fixture was the final game of the Sydenham's four match tour of the West Coast, which also included matches against the Hokitika, Greymouth and Reefton clubs. 

The Sydenham team left Christchurch on May 17th on the 8.00am train to Springfield, before boarding two Cobb and Co coaches for the journey over the Alps, arriving in Hokitika the following evening, where they would play their first fixture. The West Coast Times described the Sydenham 'footballers' as being "a powerful looking lot of men" adding, "it will take the local team all they know to beat them". 

The Hokitika side, that included 1893/94 All Black Harry Butland, won the May 21st fixture played at Cass Square, 5-2, with the Sydenham club also going down to the Greymouth club 5-4 at Victoria Park on May 24th, before notching a win against Reefton in another tight contest, by 4-2, on May 26th. 

The West Coast selection committee comprising of Messrs Pain, McMahon, Smith, O'Flynn, Hungerford, and Wickes, took particular care to select the best players from Hokitika, Greymouth, Brunner and Reefton, (with Westport players not being able to take part for various reasons) for the inaugural West Coast team, so as to make it a thoroughly representative team. 

On the eve of the Saturday fixture, controversy would overshadow the match, with the Brunner club sending the WCRU a message, stating that their players had decided not to play, with the Brunner club feeling slighted that Sydenham hadn't offered them a fixture as a part of their tour. 

A short time later that evening, the Hokitika club also withdrew its players from the fixture, which they would later blame on a misunderstanding between them and the Reefton club. 

With the Coast side now short of a full XV, West Coast selectors Hungerford and Wickes acted with great haste, and telegraphed the Reefton club asking for two extra players, to which they obliged, with W. Jones of the Greymouth club also agreeing to fill one of the vacancies, with nine of the team now made up by members of the Grey club, and six from the Reefton club. 

At 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon prior to the match, both teams, preceded by the Volunteer Band, walked to Victoria Park from the Post Office Hotel, accompanied by a good number of spectators. The match was played in clear conditions with the ground being described as being 'in excellent order', with the Inangahua Times reporter stating, "The day was fine, and I noticed a goodly sprinkling of the fair sex present".

For the match, the West Coast side wore dark blue and white jerseys, with Sydenham in red and blue. 

The West Coast Team that took the field was:

F. McGovern, fullback; D. Sheedy, W. Jones and J. Pollock, three quarters; Clerkin, B.P McMahon (Captain), and J. McFarlane, halves; D. McKay, F. McGregor, W. Russell, J. Phillips, W. Luxford, Himmell, J. Drumm, and Maher, forwards. 

The Sydenham Squad:

Fullback, J. Young; three quarters, W.M Allardyce (Captain), D. Petrie, T.W Reese, J. Mclean, H. Petrie; half-backs, J. Donnelly and T. Thompson; forwards, A. Gerard, O. McCormick, D.Ryan, J. Duncan, W. Knight, A. Pender, P. Chalmers, R. Purdham and G. Ritchie. 

Referee: 

Mr F. O'Flynn

The home side led at half time 3-0, thanks to a Sheedy a goal, with Clerkin scoring the games only try near the corner flag just before the final whistle, with McGovern converting the try from out wide, much to the applause of the home crowd at converting such a difficult kick.

The Grey River Argus match report described Sydenham players W.M Allardyce, T.W Reese, and H. Petrie as being the best of the backs, with all of the forwards playing equally well, with P. Chambers, A. Pender, and D. Ryan being most prominent.

The report then added that for West Coast, McMahon, Sheedy, and Jones were about the best of the backs, while McGovern played a safe game as full back.  In the forwards J. Phillips, D. M'Kay and Himmell were said to have been the best in the open, with W. Luxford and W. Russell putting in excellent work both in the scrums and the loose. 

Full time:

West Coast 8

Try Clerkin, McGovern Conversion, Sheedy a penalty goal.

Sydenham 0 

After the match, both teams were entertained at a 'smoke concert' in the evening at the Volunteer Hall. Mr W. H. Jones, President of the Grey Club, in the course of his speech, spoke highly of the Sydenham team's conduct while on the Coast, and said the West Coast Union would probably send a team to Canterbury next year.  

In responding to the toast of "The Visitors", Mr W. Allardyce (captain, of the Sydenham team) heartily thanked the Grey footballers for the handsome reception given them since their arrival. He promised that should a team ever journey from the West Coast to Christchurch they would receive a very warm reception, and he could not thank the local boys in terms sufficiently laudatory for the splendid manner in which they had been entertained. 

​Regarding the controversy of the late withdrawls of the Brunner and Hokitika players, the May 30th Grey River Argus reported "The selfish feeling displayed by the Hokitika and Brunner clubs was very severely commented upon, for whatever local grievances they may have entertained they should not have been allowed to interfere when it came to the question of upholding the reputation of the West Coast in the football field"

The May 31st Argus reported from a West Coast Rugby Union meeting chaired by W.H Boyd, held at the Post Office Hotel, "It was resolved that those members of the Brunner and Hokitika Clubs who were chosen to represent the Coast against the Sydenham Club, and who failed to put in an appearance at the match, be called on to give satisfactory explanations for their absence, failing which they will probably be disqualified for the rest of the season". 

No record can be found as to the outcome of any disciplinary meeting, or to whether the two clubs or its players faced any sanction.