
Colin James Loader was a leading player in Wellington in the early to mid-1950s who left a brief but meaningful footprint on Wellington rugby, as both a player and a coach.
Loader was also an All Black on the 1953-54 northern hemisphere. Though highly talented and skilful his elevation to the All Blacks for this tour was, if not in the ‘bolter’ category, surprising to some. This was largely because he was lightly raced; Loader had only played three times for Wellington all year and several times over the previous two seasons.
But he stood out in two trial matches and repaid the selectors’ faith with good form, and he played in four of the five tests and in another 12 matches on that tour.
He was picked to tour as a second five-eighth but ended up playing all four internationals at centre and in that position in most of his remaining tour matches. He was 22 at the time and played in Wellington for another two seasons only before hanging up his boots and retiring as a player. He later coached at the Hutt club.

Loader was born in Dannevirke on 10 March 1931 and spent some of his childhood in Whanganui begore moving to the Hutt Valley and attending Hutt Valley High School. He was in the HVHS First XV between 1948-50, and attended that school in the same era as and alongside some other famous names such as New Zealand cricket captain (and First XV first-five) John Reid, fellow All Blacks Ron Jarden and Jim Fitzgerald, Wellington representative fullback Peter Osborne and Commonwealth Games athletes Lionel Smith (hurdler) and 1954 gold medallist and also 1957 Otago rugby representative Don Jowett (sprinter). Similarly, long-time Wellington rugby administrator Norm Millard was HVHS’ principal at the time.
Loader played for two clubs, initially for University and then for Hutt.
Loader left school and joined University and made his Senior A [Premier] Wellington club rugby debut in the opening round in 1951, a win against Marist. University would have a mixed season, finishing third in the Hardham Cup behind winners Marist.
Nevertheless, Loader was selected in the Wellington represeantive team and played two matches in 1951.
Loader would be in and out of the Wellington team over the next four seasons, making just 21 first team appearances for Wellington between 1951-55 when he retired young.
Loader missed some games through injury, but also because of the players around him keeping him out of the side or pushing him to the wing, such as University pair Jim Fitzgerald and Brian Fitzpatrick who were often first choice midfielders.
In 1952, and after one season at University, Loader transferred to the Hutt club – perhaps because of the arrival of Fitzgerald from Otago and Fitzpatrick from Poverty Bay.
Loader would play for Hutt every season between 1952-55, joining a Hutt team on the up in his first year. After several lean seasons, Hutt had competed in the Jubilee Cup round in each of the previous two years and had won the McBain Shield off Petone in 1951.
Loader’s Hutt side finished fourth in 1952 – behind University who won the first of three straight Jubilee Cups – but beat University 16-12 in their first match of the year after leading 11-0 and then trailing 11-12 with 15 minutes to play, and then retained the McBain Shield with a 9-6 win over Petone.
Hutt were third in 1953, sixth in 1954 and eighth in 1955 in Loader’s final year of playing.
Loader made another five appearances for the Wellington represeantive team in 1952, featuring in a 31-11 win over Auckland and a 32-9 win over Taranaki amongst other results.
The following season was one of Wellington’s most memorable years and Loader played a further three matches.
The defeat of Waikato on 1 August brought the Ranfurly Shield to Wellington for the first time in 22 years and the team went on a tear over the next month or so, defending it five times and playing attractive rugby and bringing the crowds along for the ride. Loader played a strong match and scored a try in the last of these defences in a 23-6 win over Auckland. A fortnight later on 19 September, Canterbury came to town and won 24-3 to take the shield away.

Loader also played for the Centurions club in 1953 and, despite, him playing just three matches for Wellington, trialled for and was selected for the All Blacks for their end of year tour.
He played in 16 tour matches. Of the internationals, he didn’t play in the opening test lost to Wales but played in the others, against Scotland, Ireland, England and France, in which the All Blacks won all narrowly.
He was one of seven Wellington players selected for this tour, including Jarden, Bill Clark, Brian Fitzpatrick and Jim Fitzgerald all from the University club. Millard was also the All Blacks manager.
Loader partnered with Fitzpatrick in the tests against Ireland and France, while Fitzgerald was also a midfielder but didn’t play any of the internationals.
After playing for Hutt in club rugby, Loader returned in 1954 to make six appearances for Wellington in represeantive rugby. This season was also a memorable one for Wellington, a sole loss to Waikato and an unbeaten southern tour (although this didn’t include playing Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield). Loader also played for a New Zealand XV against the NZ Māori team in Auckland.
In 1955, Loader made another five appearances for Wellington in his final year. He also played again for a New Zealand XV, against the Rest of New Zealand.
Loader worked in retail in Upper Hutt.
Loader died in Dunedin on 19 June 2021, aged 90.
References:
- Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016.
- All Blacks A-Z profile Colin Loader, by Lindsay Knight
- Anderson, John. Victoria University of Wellington Rugby Football Club. The story of the Green and Golds 1902-1987. Tolan Printing Company, Wellington, 1988.
- Chester, Rod, Palenski, Ron, McMillan, Neville. Men in Black Commemorative 20th Century Addition, Moa Beckett, 2000, Auckland.
- Hutt Old Boys Marist Centenary 1910-2010 Souvenir Booklet. HOBM 2010.
- Swan, A.C. History of New Zealand Rugby Football. Vol. 2 1946-1957. Whitcombe & Tombs, Wellington 1958.
- Wellington’s Rugby History 1951-79. By Bob Fox, with assistance by Paul Elenio and Joseph Romanos (Evening Post) and Alex Veysey and Ian Gault (Dominion), with statistics compiled by Gordon Jackson (1951-68) and Alby Butterworth (1969-78). Tolan Printing Company, Wellington, 1979.