The First All New Zealand Teams

THE visit of a New South Wales team in 1882 —the first overseas football team to tour New Zealand — ushered in the golden age of New Zealand rugby, for it had no rivals as an organised winter sport, and in proportion to population the interest was amazing. Crowds of several thousands attended matches held on playing fields which were practically devoid of facilities for spectators. Travel was still inconvenient and comfortless, but coastal steamers, railways, coaches and horses carried football teams about the country.

This sudden interest in sport was perhaps not without social significance. The raw pioneering days were falling behind. New Zealand was beginning to find that it had leisure and a certain amount of wealth, and in that discovery became conscious of a national spirit which had to find an outlet in sport. The majority of those who now threw themselves into rugby with a zest never surpassed were the first real ‘ white New Zealanders ‘—young men born in New Zealand, sons of the early families—and they were strong and full of fire.

The first New South Wales team, captained by E. Raper (who died not long after the team’s return), showed New Zealand an improvement in technique, but New Zealand forwards gave a foretaste of their traditional quality and the visitors lost more matches than they won. New Zealand returned the visit in 1884, largely through the enthusiasm and initiative of S. E. Sleigh, of Otago, a former Otago representative, who managed the tour very capably and assisted in financing it. Financially the tour was not a success, resulting in a loss of £200, but the New Zealand team won all its matches. The players provided their own jerseys, which were dark blue and bore a gold fernleaf. The captain was W. V. Millton, of Canterbury, a splendid type of sports­man, who at Timaru in 1878 had shown great gallantry in plunging into boiling surf in an effort to rescue shipwrecked sailors. His death in 1887 was a great loss to New Zealand football.

Another New South Wales team made a tour in 1886, playing twelve matches (three against Auckland) and winning only two of them. Then in 1888 came a memorable event, the visit of R. L. Seddon’s team, better known as Stoddart’s team, as Stoddart assumed the captaincy after Seddon’s death by drowning while sculling on the Hunter River in New South Wales. This English team, a brilliant band of amateurs, was financed by speculators, as were many cricket and football tours of that period. Its nineteen matches in New Zealand fell into two distinct visits, one in the early part of the season, the second in September and October after its tour of Australia. In New Zealand it won thirteen matches, lost two, and drew four. Many points in its play were new, including the feint pass, systematic heeling, screw­ing of the scrum, and the crosskick. All these were noted for future use in New Zealand. Thousands of New Zealanders, now grown old and full of memories, still recall the visit of Stoddart’s team with interest and pleasure. Among other lessons it implanted the importance of good appearance on the field. Its more elegant members even wore ties with their jerseys.