Rugby History – Page 12

Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 090: Graham Mexted

by clubrugby - October 3, 2024October 3, 2024

No. 8 Graham Mexted represented Wellington on 38 occasions from the early to mid-1950s, and played six matches including one test for the All Blacks. Like some other players of this era, Mexted had a meteoric rise, from one week playing what today is Premier 2 club rugby, to the next

Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington: 088 Brian Steele

by clubrugby - September 18, 2024

Leo Brian Steele is Wellington’s oldest living All Black, and the second oldest nationwide (at the time of this profile being published on 18 September 2024). Steele was born on 19 January 1929, not long after the oldest All Black Wiliam McCaw (Southland, born 27 August 1927). Both players made their

Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 087: Guy Bowers

by clubrugby - September 12, 2024September 12, 2024

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

Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 086: Brian Lloyd

by clubrugby - September 4, 2024

Hooker and prop Brian Lloyd was a stalwart of Wellington Axemen club teams and Wellington representative sides for several years in the period from the late 1940s to the early 1950s. Lloyd was a playing member of the 1947 Wellington Axemen side that won the Jubilee Cup and was later captain

Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 085: Jim Fitzgerald

by clubrugby - August 28, 2024

James Train Fitzgerald was a fleet-footed midfielder who was a key cog in the hugely successful University club teams of the early 1950s, as well as playing for Wellington and for the All Blacks. He was a popular player for his University club and for Wellington teams in the early