Hubert Turtill

Hubert Turtill

Personal information
Full name	Hubert Sydney Turtill
Born	(1880-02-01)1 February 1880 London, England
Died	9 April 1918(1918-04-09) (aged 38) France
Playing information
Weight	72 kg (11 st 5 lb)
Rugby union
Position	Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1902–1906 Canterbury Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1905 Neuseeland 1 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position	Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1909–1913 St. Helens 137 3 197 0 403 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1907–1908 Neuseeland 6 1 1 0 5
Source:

"Jum" Hurbert Sydney Turtill was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Early years

Turtill's father died in London when he was only three years old and his mother decided to move to New Zealand to be with relatives. On the sea voyage in 1884 he gained the nickname Jum, short for Jumbo. Turtill worked in New Zealand as a decorative metal worker.

Rugby football

He started his rugby union career playing for Christchurch Albion before making the Canterbury team in 1902. He represented the South Island in 1903 and 1907. He became an All Black in 1905, playing against Australia.

Rugby league

In 1907 he joined the professional All Blacks on their tour of Great Britain and Australia, thus joining the code that would evolve into rugby league. He was selected because he was considered well versed in wet weather football, something the All Blacks would constantly experience in Great Britain. On the tour he played in six test matches and captained the side in the first test in Australia in 1908. Turtill only scored one try on tour, but it was an important one - in a test match against Great Britain - and helped them win the series.

Once the tour was over he returned to England with his wife, originally intending to play for Salford. However he instead joined St. Helens where he also owned a pub, the "Lord Nelson Hotel" in St Helens.

World War I

After the outbreak of World War I, Turtill served with the British Army. He became a sergeant in the Royal Engineers until he was killed in France in 1918.

See also

• List of international rugby union players killed in action during the First World War
• Dave Gallaher, also killed in World War I.

External links

• Hurbert Turtill at AllBlacks.com
• Jum Turtill at the St Helens Heritage Society

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