Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 087: Guy Bowers

With Wellington challenging Tasman this coming Sunday for the Ranfurly Shield, this week’s history profile is with a former Nelson College First XV captain who made the All Blacks whilst representing Wellington in 1953 after only two Wellington A matches and who would not play for Wellington again and moved back to his home union Golden-Bay Motueka.

Seven Wellington players were selected for the 30-strong All Blacks on the 1953/54 northern hemisphere tour- a then union record.

Amongst them were four players from the then champion University club, Ron Jarden, Bill Clark, Jim Fitzgerald and Brian Fitzpatrick, plus Colin Loader and Vince Bevan. All established or well-known Wellington players at the time.

The seventh was Athletic club 20-year old Richard ‘Guy’ Bowers, and his selection as one of two specialist first-fives in the squad alongside incumbent and All Blacks vice-captain Laurie Haig from Otago was one for bolter status if there was ever one.

Bowers had barely played any first-class rugby for Wellington, and owing to injuries and no further outgoing All Black tours until 1957 he barely played anymore in Wellington and never again for the All Blacks.

Nevertheless, Bowers played 11 tour matches on tour to Europe and played in two tests, plus another four matches on the Canadian leg on the way home.

He was also the son of a former Wellington player.

His father, Walter Richard ‘Dick’ Bowers, represented Wellington out of the Petone club in 1917 and 1918, before moving across the Cook Straight and playing for Nelson-Golden Bay Motueka against the 1921 Springboks and trialling for the All Blacks in 1924.

As well as his father, his older cousin Fred was head prefect of Nelson College in 1940, played briefly for Golden Bay-Mouteka teams and played for services teams whilst overseas during the war.

Guy Bowers was born in Motueka on 5 November 1932 and was in the Nelson College First XV in 1949 and 1950 and was captain in his last year. Interestingly, Bowers’ Nelson College lost to both Hutt Valley High School and Wellington College that season and were fourth at the Quadrangular Tournament.

Leaving school, Bowers came across Cook Straight and first made the Wellington Colts in 1951 out of the Athletic club, alongside future Wellington captain and All Black Don McIntosh

It is unsure how much Senior A [Premier] rugby Bowers played in his three years in Wellington 1951-52 and 1953 playing for Athletic, but Athletic were well off the pace in club rugby in these years as Poneke and then University (twice) won Jubilee Cups these years.

He didn’t play for Wellington in 1952.

In 1953 the Wellington representative side enjoyed one of its most memorable and popular seasons ever, winning the Ranfurly Shield off Waikato and defending it five times in six weeks in August and September.

But Bowers wasn’t part of it. The team’s first five was Hutt’s Trevor Riley, who partnered halfback Vince Bevan.

Bowers played two matches only for Wellington in 1953, one of these being the 17-6 win over Wairarapa on 22 July (because he is listed as a try-scorer).

How did he make the All Blacks?

He played well in the trials. John Hayhurst, in his book about the 1953-54 tour (referenced below) picks it up here:

The final All Blacks trial, in which he made the team from, was played in Wellington on the Tuesday before Wellington’s final Ranfurly Shield defence of the year against Canterbury. Now a new All Black, bowers still couldn’t gain a place in the provincial line-up. Canterbury outplayed Wellington and won 24-3. What if he had been playing?

On to the All Blacks, Bowers was one of the finds of the tour, from the Hayhurst book again:

He forced his way into the Test line-up and played in the internationals against Ireland (lost 3-14) and France (won 3-0).

It wasn’t to be for Bowers though. A breakthrough season in-waiting in 1954 for Wellington was thwarted completely by injury and he didn’t play again for the province.

Lindsay Knight, in his All Blacks website profile of Bowers wrote:

In 1955 Bowers returned to his home union of Golden Bay-Motueka and continued to represent this small province for the rest of his career, retiring after the 1960 season but making a brief comeback in the 1962 season. By choosing to play for one of the country’s minor unions Bowers obviously limited his chances of a recall to the top ranks.

But he did come close to making the series against the Springboks in 1956 and at one time looked to be earmarked as the starting first five eighths. He played in the South Island trial, made the South side for the interisland match and appeared in the last trial for a New Zealand XV, which appeared to be a shadow test lineup, against a South Island XV. The New Zealand XV, however, was heavily defeated against most predictions in that match and Bowers was one of those who paid the penalty.

Bowers later had a spell as Golden Bay Motueka’s representative coach and in the early 70s was a South Island age group selector.

Bowers’ profession was listed as a tobacco farmer.

He died in Motueka on 11 June 2000, aged 67.

References:

• Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016.
• Dominion and Evening Post newspaper reports – August and September 1953.
• Hayhurst, John, The Fourth All Blacks 1953-54. Hazell, Watson and Vinery Ltd, London 1954.
• Knight, Lindsay, Guy Bowers All Blacks A-Z profile
• Swan, A.C. History of New Zealand Rugby Football. Vol. 2 1946-1957. Whitcombe & Tombs, Wellington 1958.
• Palenski/Chester/McMillan. The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby. Hodder Moa, Auckland 2005.
• Swan, A.C. History of New Zealand Rugby Football. Vol. 2 1946-1957. Whitcombe & Tombs, Wellington 1958
• WRFU. Wellington’s Rugby History Part 2 1951-79. WRFU publication, 1979.
• Headline photo: Richard ‘Guy’ Bowers, member of the All Blacks, New Zealand representative rugby union team. Crown Studios Ltd :Negatives and prints. Ref: 1/2-191027-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23240755