Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 123: Bill Dick (Petone)

Prop Bill Dick was one of those players that binds the club competition and makes it stronger.

The reliable, consistent Dick played in Petone’s front row for more than a decade throughout the 1950s and into the early 1960s and was later President of Petone.

Dick was a four-time Jubilee Cup winner – in 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1961 (the last as captain) and a one-time Hardham Cup winner in 1953.

Petone centurion Dick was also a Jubilee Cup runner-up three times, in 1954, 1955 and 1958.

Dick also played for the Wellington representative team every year except for 1955 between 1951-61.

He wasn’t always a first-choice pick for the province, especially in Wellington’s big games – such as internationals against the Springboks in 1956 and the British and Irish Lions in 1959 – but he nevertheless made 54 appearances for the Wellington A side over a decade. This was an era of minimal subs benches and replacements.

It was also an era that produced a number of famous players grabbing all the headlines such as Ron Jarden on the wing for University and one in which club rugby was very popular and Saturday crowds of up to and exceeding 10,000 at Athletic Park and 3-4000 at home at the Petone Rec were common.

Early life details of Dick are unknown, but he was born in 1930 and in programmes of the late 1950s his occupation was listed as a fitter.

He joined Petone who were joint Jubilee Cup champions with St Pat’s Old Boys in 1949 and soon found his way into the senior team’s front row.

Marist won the Jubilee Cup in 1950 and Pōneke in 1951, then came the era of University in which they won a three-peat of titles between 1952-54.

In the early 1950s there was also a revival of the McBain Shield against Hutt, with Hutt winning in 1951 and 1952. In 1953 Petone beat Hutt 14-9 to regain this, but Petone’s form was patchy throughout this season – despite providing Don McIntosh, Jackie Dougan and Bill Dick to the Wellington team – and they played in the Hardham Cup later in the season. They beat WCOB 13-3 on the last day of the season to win the Hardham Cup.

In 1954 recently retired All Black fullback Bob Scott joined Petone and interest was high. The team’s fortunes improved and they pushed University close. Petone beat them 12-9 in front of a huge crowd at Petone but University later won the match that mattered, 11-6.

Petone’s 1954 teamsheets often featured an ‘all Bill’ front row, of Bill Dick, Bill Macauley and Bill Miles.

In 1955, Petone still had Scott, but they sensationally lost first-five Jackie Dougan to Onslow, who went on to win the title. Dick lined up at prop and stood out for doing a “tremendous amount of work in the tight” as Petone beat University 14-8 in front of 14,000 people.

Onslow sensationally beat Dick and Petone 15-14 at the end of the season to win the title.

This was the only year between 1951-61 that Dick didn’t play for Wellington.

Petone were winners in 1956, Petone beating their keen rivals University 22-3 in the crunch match that carried them to the 1956 Jubilee Cup title.

Petone went back-to-back in 1957, although University beat them twice throughout the season, 9-0 and 14-3 and for long periods the season hung in the balance with up to five teams in the mix at one stage in the second round.

Dick, along with captain Don McIntosh, tearaway flanker Fred Thompson and outside back Roy Smith made the Wellington A team in 1957.

Dick and Petone were going for a three-peat in 1958, to emulate University’s feats earlier in the decade. But they missed out to a resurgent University. Dick, along with McIntosh, Kara Puketapu and Thomspon were Wellington representatives.

They were back in the winner’s circle in 1959. Petone beat University 12-5 after leading 9-5 at halftime. Petone dominated territory for most of the match but failed to take several chances.

Marist were champions in 1960 but Petone were there and thereabouts again in a fiercely contested season, before Dick returned in 1961 to captain Petone to win his fourth Jubilee Cup in six years.

Petone beat University (again) in the deciding game of 1961. Dick was at tighthead prop and Ken Gray was at lock as Petone won this one 19-17. Petone led 16-6 at halftime, but University came back with a flurry of late scoring and fullback Mick Williment also missed a late handy conversion.

He returned to play his last season for Petone in 1962 as they slipped to fourth behind joint winners Onslow and Marist with an 8 win/8 loss season record.

For Wellington, Dick made his provincial debut in 1951, making seven appearances, and he as a regular over the next several years (except in 1955).

He wasn’t always Wellington’s first choice prop, with other players such as All Black Ivan Vondanovich and later in the career Ken Gray preferred as first choice players.

Dick’s most prolific first-class season was in 1960 when he played 13 of a possible 18 games.

His last year for Wellington was 1961, making four appearances.

As well as for Wellington A and also other first-class appearances for Wellington B and Wellington XV teams, Dick played for the Centurions between 1954-61. His overall first-class career saw him playing 88 matches.

Dick was Petone’s President between 1991-94, and was succeeded by his former front row partner Bill Macaulay who was President between 1995-97.

Bill Dick’s brother Robin was a wing who played for Petone with him in the 1950s and whom played several matches for the Wellington A team in 1951 and 1952 and several more over a few years for the Wellington B side.

Robin’s son Bryce Dick was also a first-class player, making 35 appearances as a flanker for North Harbour between 1990-93 and also playing 12 first-class games for the NZ Services (Police) team from 1986-93.

References:

• Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016.
• Griffin, Don and Gallagher, Peter. True blue” : the first 100 years of the Petone Rugby Football Club Incorporated, 1885-1985 [Petone, N.Z. : The Club, 1985]
• Rugby Weekly various editions 1950s-1960s
• 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.