Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 069: Jim Sherratt

Jim Sherratt was one of the most exciting players in Wellington rugby circles at the close of the 1930s when the second world war broke out.

Sherratt was a tall, strapping, fast right wing, originally from Gisborne and out of the Whanganui Collegiate First XV in 1936 who had quickly risen through Wellington’s Fourth Grade (U19s) and Third Grade (U21s) representative sides in 1937 and 1938 respectively to make his Wellington Senior representative debut in 1939.

After a handful of matches for the representative team, coach Alex McDonald nominated him along with nine other players from the region for the end of season All Blacks trials for the scheduled 1940 South African tour. Sherratt was all set to play in these, but a torn muscle sidelined him for a few weeks and ruled him out.

He was still one of Wellington Rugby’s most talked about players heading into the start of the new decade. But the next five years would be dominated by war not rugby. He later proved himself on the big stage, not for the All Blacks but for the NZEF 2^nd Expeditionary “Kiwis” team on their European tour at the end of the war.

Sherratt signed up to the army and in 1940 transferred from his Wellington Axemen club to the combined Seatoun-Rongotai Old Boys club that fielded an army team [Seatoun Army] in the second division.

Sherratt spent much of that season playing for this team, but received a dispensation to re-join the Axemen towards the end of the season and played in the 1940 Jubilee Cup decider against Athletic.

Sherratt’s appearance in the Axemen line-up was popular and he didn’t disappoint, scoring a “brilliant try” in the first half. This was their only try of the match as Athletic won 12-7 and relieved Wellington of the Jubilee Cup, who fell to third behind Athletic and Hutt Army.

The previous year, 20-year-old Sherratt had scored two first half tries for the Axemen in the Jubilee Cup finale against Petone to see them lead 18-5 at halftime. This lead proved just enough as Petone came back to trail 18-17 when their former All Black back Bunk Pollock lined up a penalty to win the game. It missed and Sherratt and the Axemen carried off with the 1939 Jubilee Cup.

His “powerful” and “determined” performances over the 1939 winter saw him elevated to the represeantive side and he made the most of his debut against Ashburton County at home on 26 July, scoring four tries in the 47-14 win over the Mid-Cantabrians.

Exactly a month later, on 26 August, he was a try-scorer in Wellington’s 14-9 home win over Canterbury, and on 2 September Evening Post reports were praising him for his “strapping running” although Wellington could only draw 6-6 with Hawke’s Bay.

Moving into September, he was selected on Wellington’s Northern tour to play North Auckland on 13 September and Auckland on 16 September but withdrew owing to injury. This must have been precautionary as he was selected in a second Wellington team that played Wairarapa at home on the same day as the Auckland match. It was during this game that he retired from the field and that was the end of his 1939 season which included missing an All Blacks trial. He ended 1939 having made six appearances for Wellington.

With war having broken out, Sherratt enlisted in the services and joined the Seatoun Army side, later playing a cameo for the Wellington Axemen in their Jubilee Cup final loss to Athletic (see above).

He also played for a Central Army represeantive team against Wellington on 22 June, with Wellington winning 19-17, and played four matches in total for this Army team in 1940 and none for Wellington.

He spent the next summer competing for the Olympic club in some athletics meets, but rugby took a back seat from 1941.

He was a Lieutenant in the 22^nd Infantry Battalion serving in Fiji and Italy between 1942-1945.

But his rugby career was far from over.

He was selected for the “Kiwis” army team that toured Europe in the 1945-46 northern winter, and was one of the star players, scoring 23 tries in 28 matches and proving popular with the crowds.

The team’s record was played 38, won 33, drew 2, lost 3, and they scored 712 points and conceded 252. This included five matches against domestic opposition with the last one against Wellington on 3 August 1946, with Wellington winning 18-11.

Sherratt then played two more matches for Wellington in 1946 and he scored a try in their 8-14 loss to Hawke’s Bay at home on 7 September.

He also played for the North Island against the South Island on 17 August 1946, the North winning 8-3.

He was playing in Auckland and 1947 and 1948 and briefly represented Auckland out of the Grammar Old Boys club.

Sherratt played 55 first-class games and scored 45 tries.

Sherratt died in Tauranga a week after his 92^nd birthday on 19 May 2011.

References:

• Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016.
• Dominion and Evening Post – various rugby reports 1930s.
• Palenski/Chester/McMillan. The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby. Hodder Moa, Auckland 2005.
• Quinn, Keith. Give ‘Em the Axe. 150 years of the Wellington Football Club. Wakefields Digital, Wellington 2020.
• Swan, A.C. History of New Zealand Rugby Football 1870-1945. A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1948.
• Swan, Arthur C.; Jackson, Gordon F. W. (1952). Wellington’s Rugby History 1870 – 1950. Wellington, New Zealand: A. H. & A. W. Reed