Hercules Wright: Difference between revisions

Hercules Wright
Personal information
Full name	Hercules Richard Wright
Born	16 January 1881; Hokitika, New Zealand
Died	4 April 1963 (aged 82); Wellington, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	13 st 8 lb (190 lb; 86 kg)
Rugby union
Position	Hooker, Prop
Club
Rugby league
Position	Hooker, Prop
Representative
	Source:

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Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright (16 January 1881 – 4 April 1963) was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional (rugby league) 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Background

Born in Arahura, which is 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Hokitika in the West Coast region of New Zealand, Wright was a printer by trade.^[2]^[3]

Rugby union career

Wright began his rugby union career playing for North Wairarapa in 1899. He then moved to Petone where he joined the Petone Rugby Club. During the Second Boer War, Wright played for the New Zealand Army Corps team, which was the first New Zealand rugby side to play in South Africa.^[2] On his return Wright played for Wellington and played Ranfurly Shield rugby.^[2] He eventually became the captain of both Wellington and Petone. He was also selected for the All Blacks but withdrew due to injury and never represented New Zealand in rugby union.^[2] Wright was a noted disciplinarian and was known to check on his Petone teammates the night before games.^[2]

Rugby league career

When news of the advent of rugby league football made its way from England to the Southern Hemisphere, Wright joined the professional All Blacks for the 1907–1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia. He was one of six players from the Petone Rugby Club selected.^[4] Wright had been one of the tour's selectors and was elected captain for the tour, a sign of the democratic nature of the touring party.^[2] As a result, he also served on the tour's Management committee. He played in the first ever trans-Tasman test which was the debut match of the Australia national rugby league team. Altogether Wright played in four test matches while on the tour.^[5] After returning to New Zealand Wright played rugby league in Wellington, representing the Wellington Rugby League in matches against Auckland in 1908 and Taranaki in 1909.^[2]

Political career

Wright was on the Petone Borough Council, and on the Brooklyn school committee. His brother was Minister of Education and Mayor of Wellington, Robert Wright.

Wright died in Wellington on (1963-04-04)4 April 1963. Along with five other members of the touring party, he was buried at Karori Cemetery.^[6]

Legacy

Wright was named at Prop in the Petone Panthers' Team of the Century in 2012.^[7]

Notes

^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1
^ Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8
^ Petone Rugby played big part in 'All Golds' Archived 21 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine Petone Rugby Club, Accessed 14 August 2009
^ "The All Golds". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
^ Relatives and Teams to remember Original All Golds Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine NZRL Press Release, 10 October 2007
^ "Petone Rugby League marks its 100th year". stuff.co.nz. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

References

Obituary in Evening Post of 4 April 1963, page 19.
Military Personnel File online; digitised record at Archives New Zealand.

[Statistics_at_rugbyleagueproject.org-1] "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

[book-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1

[3] Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8

[4] Petone Rugby played big part in 'All Golds' Archived 21 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine Petone Rugby Club, Accessed 14 August 2009

[5] "The All Golds". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2020.

[6] Relatives and Teams to remember Original All Golds Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine NZRL Press Release, 10 October 2007

[Petone_Rugby_League_marks_its_100th_year-7] "Petone Rugby League marks its 100th year". stuff.co.nz. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

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[2]

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[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|NZ international rugby league & union footballer}}
+{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2016}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
 {{Infobox rugby league biography
 |name          = Hercules Wright
@@ Line 4: / Line 7: @@
 |nickname            = Bumper
 |image               =
 |imagesize           =
 |caption             =
-|birth_date         = {{birth date|1881|01|16}}
+|birth_date         = {{birth date|df=yes|1881|01|16}}
-|birth_place        = [[Hokitika]], [[New Zealand]]
+|birth_place        = [[Hokitika]], New Zealand
-|death_date         = {{death date and age|1963|04|04|1881|01|16}}
+|death_date         = {{death date and age|df=yes|1963|04|04|1881|01|16}}
-|death_place        = [[Wellington, New Zealand|Wellington]], [[New Zealand]]
+|death_place        = [[Wellington]], New Zealand
-|height         =
+|height         =5ft 11in
-|weight         =
+|weight         =13st 8lb
 |position            = {{rlp|HK|PR}}
 |first = RU
@@ Line 17: / Line 20: @@
 |ru_club1            = North Wairarapa
 |ru_year1start       = 1899
 |ru_year1end         =
 |ru_appearances1     =
 |ru_tries1           =
 |ru_goals1           =
 |ru_fieldgoals1      =
 |ru_points1          =
 |ru_club2            = [[Wellington Rugby Union|Wellington]]
 |ru_year2start       =
 |ru_year2end         =
 |ru_appearances2     =
 |ru_tries2           =
 |ru_goals2           =
 |ru_fieldgoals2      =
 |ru_points2          =
 |teamA               = [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]]
 |yearAstart          = 1907
-|yearAend            = 1908
+|yearAend            = 08
 |appearancesA        = 4
 |triesA              = 0
@@ Line 42: / Line 45: @@
 |yearBstart          = 1908
 |yearBend            = ??
 |appearancesB        =
 |triesB              =
 |goalsB              =
 |fieldgoalsB         =
 |pointsB             =
 |updated             =
-|source              = [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Hercules_Wright/summary.html RLP]
+|source              = <ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Hercules_Wright/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref>
 |retired = yes
+}}
-}}'''Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright''' (1881–1963) was a [[New Zealand]] [[rugby football]]er who was part of the professional (rugby league) [[1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain]].
+'''Hercules Richard''' "'''Bumper'''" '''Wright''' (16 January 1881 – 4 April 1963) was a New Zealand [[rugby football]]er who was part of the professional (rugby league) [[1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain]].
-==Early years==
-Born in Arahura, {{convert|4|mi}} north of [[Hokitika]] on the [[West Coast Region|West Coast]] of New Zealand, Wright was a printer by trade.<ref name=book>John Haynes ''From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers'', Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1</ref><ref>Coffey and Wood ''The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League'' ISBN 1-86971-090-8</ref>
-==Rugby Football==
+==Background==
+Born in Arahura, which is {{convert|4|mi}} north of [[Hokitika]] in the [[West Coast, New Zealand|West Coast]] region of New Zealand, Wright was a printer by trade.<ref name=book>John Haynes ''From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers'', Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. {{ISBN|0-473-03864-1}}</ref><ref>Coffey and Wood ''The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League'' {{ISBN|1-86971-090-8}}</ref>
-Wright began his [[rugby union]] career playing for North Wairarapa in 1899. He then moved to Petone where he joined the [[Petone Rugby Club]].
-==Boer War==
+==Rugby union career==
+[[File:Petone senior rugby team 1907.png|thumb|The Petone senior rugby team in 1907. Wright is second from the left in the back row, next to Tom Cross (on the left).]]Wright began his [[rugby union]] career playing for North Wairarapa in 1899. He then moved to Petone where he joined the [[Petone Rugby Club]]. During the [[Second Boer War]], Wright played for the [[New Zealand Army Corps]] team, which was the first New Zealand rugby side to play in South Africa.<ref name=book /> On his return Wright played for [[Wellington Rugby Union|Wellington]] and played [[Ranfurly Shield]] rugby.<ref name=book /> He eventually became the captain of both Wellington and Petone. He was also selected for the [[All Blacks]] but withdrew due to injury and never represented New Zealand in rugby union.<ref name=book /> Wright was a noted disciplinarian and was known to check on his Petone teammates the night before games.<ref name=book />
-During the [[Second Boer War]], Wright played for the [[New Zealand Army Corps]] team, which was the first New Zealand rugby side to play in [[South Africa]].<ref name=book />
+==Rugby league career==
-==Wellington==
+When news of the advent of [[rugby league]] football made its way from England to the Southern Hemisphere, Wright joined the [[New Zealand national rugby league team|professional All Blacks]] for the [[1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain|1907–1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia]]. He was one of six players from the [[Petone Rugby Club]] selected.<ref>[http://www.petonerugby.com/memoirs.php?id=19 Petone Rugby played big part in 'All Golds'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021153332/http://www.petonerugby.com/memoirs.php?id=19 |date=21 October 2008}} ''Petone Rugby Club'', Accessed 14 August 2009</ref> Wright had been one of the tour's selectors and was elected captain for the tour, a sign of the democratic nature of the touring party.<ref name=book /> As a result, he also served on the tour's Management committee. He played in the [[1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain#1908 in Australia|first ever trans-Tasman test]] which was the debut match of the [[Australia national rugby league team]]. Altogether Wright played in four test matches while on the tour.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://allgolds.net/ |title=The All Golds |access-date=13 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010124413/http://www.allgolds.net/ |archive-date=10 October 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After returning to New Zealand Wright played rugby league in Wellington, representing the [[Wellington Rugby League]] in matches against [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] in 1908 and [[Taranaki rugby league team|Taranaki]] in 1909.<ref name=book />
-On his return Wright played for [[Wellington Rugby Union|Wellington]] and played [[Ranfurly Shield]] rugby.<ref name=book /> He eventually became the captain of both Wellington and Petone. He was also selected for the [[All Blacks]] but withdrew due to injury and never represented New Zealand in rugby union.<ref name=book />
+==Political career==
-Wright was a noted disciplinarian and was known to check on his Petone team mates the night before games.<ref name=book />
+Wright was on the Petone Borough Council, and on the Brooklyn school committee. His brother was Minister of Education and Mayor of Wellington, [[Robert Wright (New Zealand politician)|Robert Wright]].
+Wright died in Wellington on {{death date|df=yes|1963|04|04|1881|01|16}}. Along with five other members of the touring party, he was buried at Karori Cemetery.<ref>[http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=29312 Relatives and Teams to remember Original All Golds] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183957/http://rleague.com/db/article.php?id=29312 |date=12 October 2007}} ''NZRL Press Release'', 10 October 2007</ref>
-==Rugby League==
-Wright joined the [[New Zealand Kiwis|professional All Blacks]] for the [[1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain|1907–1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia]]. He was one of six players from the [[Petone Rugby Club]] selected.<ref>[http://www.petonerugby.com/memoirs.php?id=19 Petone Rugby played big part in 'All Golds'] ''Petone Rugby Club'', Accessed 14 August 2009</ref> Wright had been one of the tours selectors and was elected captain for the tour, a sign of the democratic nature of the touring party.<ref name=book /> As a result he also served on the tours Management committee. He played in four test matches while on the tour.
+==Legacy==
-When Wright returned to New Zealand he played rugby league in Wellington, representing the [[Wellington Rugby League]] in matches against [[Auckland rugby league team|Auckland]] in 1908 and [[Taranaki Rugby League|Taranaki]] in 1909.<ref name=book /> He was on the Petone Borough Council, and on the Brooklyn school committee.
+Wright was named at {{rlp|PR}} in the [[Petone Panthers]]' Team of the Century in 2012.<ref name="Petone Rugby League marks its 100th year">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/sport/6751720/Petone-Rugby-League-marks-its-100th-year|title=Petone Rugby League marks its 100th year|publisher=stuff.co.nz|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}</ref>
-Like five other members of the touring party, Wright is buried at Karori Cemetery.<ref>[http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=29312 Relatives and Teams to remember Original All Golds] ''NZRL Press Release'', 10 October 2007</ref>
-A brother [[Robert Alexander Wright]] was Minister of Education and Mayor of Wellington.
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 84: / Line 83: @@
 {{New Zealand All Golds 1907}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Hercules}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
+[[Category:1881 births]]
-| NAME              = Wright, Richard
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = New Zealand dual code rugby player
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = 16 January 1881
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[Hokitika]]
-| DATE OF DEATH     = 4 April 1963
-| PLACE OF DEATH    = [[Wellington, New Zealand|Wellington]]
-}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Richard}}
 [[Category:New Zealand rugby union players]]
+[[Category:Wellington rugby union players]]
+[[Category:New Zealand military personnel of the Second Boer War]]
 [[Category:New Zealand rugby league players]]
-[[Category:Wellington rugby union players]]
 [[Category:Wellington rugby league team players]]
-[[Category:New Zealand military personnel of the Second Boer War]]
 [[Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players]]
-[[Category:Local political office-holders in New Zealand]]
+[[Category:New Zealand national rugby league team captains]]
-[[Category:1881 births]]
+[[Category:Petone Panthers players]]
+[[Category:New Zealand sportsperson-politicians]]
+[[Category:Petone Borough Councillors]]
+[[Category:Burials at Karori Cemetery]]
 [[Category:1963 deaths]]
-[[Category:New Zealand sportsperson–politicians]]
+[[Category:Rugby league hookers]]
-[[Category:New Zealand national rugby league team captains]]
+[[Category:Rugby league props]]
+[[Category:New Zealand military personnel]]