1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team

The New Zealand Natives' football team prior to playing Queensland in July 1889.

The 1888–1889 New Zealand Native football team was a New Zealand football team that toured Britain, Australia and New Zealand in 1888 and 1889. The team was composed mainly of players of Māori ancestry, although several Pakeha were included in the squad. The tour was a private endeavour, and was not an official representative team. The tour was organised by Joseph Warbrick, promoted by Thomas Eyton, and managed by James Scott^{[disambiguation needed ]}. The team played 107 matches during their tour. Although most of the matches played were Rugby football, the team also played Victorian Rules football and Association football in Australia. The squad consisted of 26 players, and they achieved a record of 78 wins, 6 draws, and 23 losses.

In 2008, the team and its organiser Warbrick were inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.^[1]

Background

The team.

The idea for a team of Māori team of footballers to tour Britain was that of Joseph Warbrick.^[2] He had initially proposed a team of Māori or part-Māori play the touring British side in 1888.^[3] This developed into a venture to have a Māori team Britain if a preliminary tour of New Zealand was successful.^[3] After learning of Warbrick's plans, Thomas Eyton contacted him to help manage the tour.^[4] Eventually James Scott joined the partnership, and the roles of the three were decided; Warbrick as captain, Scott as manager, and Eyton as promoter.^[4]

Warbrick started assembling a team for the tour in early 1888.^[5] He did have difficulties assembling a team due to player availability, and failed to secure Jack Taiaroa due to his university commitments.^[6][7] Some players who were available for the tour withdrew due to the inclusion of part-Māori in the team.^[6] There were twenty Māori players selected for the team.^[8] However after the defeat to Auckland five Pakeha players were added to the team.^[8] Due to the inclusion of Pakeha players the team was renamed from the New Zealand Maori to the New Zealand Native Football Representatives.^[9] The final team consisted of 26 players (including Warbrick).^[9]

The team toured New Zealand before departing overseas.^[10] The team played against Hawke's Bay, Auckland, Nelson, Wellington, Canterbury, South Canterbury, and Otago.^[11] The first game was held against Hawke's Bay in Napier on 23 June 1888.^[12] They played nine games in their preliminary tour of New Zealand of which seven were won.^[13] Their last match was against Otago and was won one try to nil was played in Dunedin on 31 July 1888.^[11][14]

The team departed for Australia from Dunedin on 1 August 1888.^[13] The team arrived in Melbourne where Scott recruited a Victorian Rules coach Jack Lawlor to coach the team while they were in Britain for possible Victorian Rules matches on their return to Australia.^[13] The team did play two matches while in Melbourne; both were rugby matches against the Melbourne Rugby Union team with the first won, and the second a draw.^[13] They departed from Melbourne to Britain via Suez.^[15] The team arrived in London on 27 September 1888.^[15]

Matches played

Ireland vs. New Zealand Māori

1 December 1888	Ireland	1G, 1T – 4G 1T	New Zealand Māori	Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 3,000 Referee: J Chambers
	Try: Waites Woods Con: Stevenson		Try: McCausland Ellison Maynard Elliot Keogh Con: (unknown) (4)

Ireland: T Edwards, DC Woods, A Walpole, MJ Bulger, J Stevenson, RG Warren capt., HW Andrews, EG Forrest, JH O'Conor, JG Moffatt, JN Lytle, J Waites, R Stevenson, JC Jameson, FO Stoker

New Zealand Māori: W Warbrick, DR Gage, EEM McCausland, F Warbrick, P Keogh, WT Wynyard, C Madigan, W Elliott, GA Williams, W Taiaroa, TR Ellison, W Anderson, JA Warbrick, Maynard, Goldsmith

Wales vs. New Zealand Māori

22 December 1888	Wales	1G, 2T – nil	New Zealand Māori	St. Helen's, Swansea Referee: S Mortimer (England)
	Try: Towers Thomas Hannan Con: Webb

Wales: Jim Webb (Newport), George Thomas (Newport), Dickie Garrett (Penarth), Charlie Arthur (Cardiff), Norman Biggs (Cardiff), Charlie Thomas (Newport), William Stadden (Cardiff), Frank Hill (Cardiff) capt., Alexander Bland (Cardiff), Sydney Nicholls (Cardiff), Jim Hannan (Newport), Theo Harding (Newport), William Towers (Swansea), William Bowen (Swansea), Dan Griffiths, (Llanelli)

New Zealand Māori: W Warbrick, EEM McCausland, WT Wynyard, DR Gage, W Elliott, F Warbrick, P Keogh, G Wynyard, A Webster, HH Lee, GA Williams, A Warbrick, D Stewart, Wi Karauria, TR Ellison

England vs. New Zealand Māori

16 February 1889	England	1G, 4T – nil	New Zealand Māori	Rectory Field, Blackheath Referee: GR Hill (England)
	Try: Bedford (2) Evershed Stoddart Sutcliffe Con: Sutcliffe

England: Arthur "Artie" V. Royle, John William "J.W." Sutcliffe, Andrew Stoddart, Richard "Dicky" Evison Lockwood, William Martin Scott, Fernand "Fred" Bonsor capt., Frank Evershed, Donald "Don" Jowett, Charles Anderton, Harry James Wilkinson, Harry Bedford, William Yiend, John W. Cave, Frederick Lowrie, Arthur Robinson

New Zealand Māori: W Warbrick, EEM McCausland, WT Wynyard, C Madigan, W Elliott, DR Gage, P Keogh, G Wynyard, J Rene, HH Lee, TR Ellison, GA Williams, W Anderson, W Taiaroa, R Maynard

References and notes

Bibliography

• Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: Phoenix House. ISBN 0-460-07003-7. 
• Ryan, Greg (1993). Forerunners of the All Blacks. Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury University Press. ISBN 0-908812-30-2. 
• Thomas, J.B.G. (1970). On Tour. Essex: Anchor Press Ltd. 

External links

• "New Zealand Natives' rugby tour of 1888/89". New Zealand History Online. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/node/766. Retrieved 27 March 2007. 

See also

• New Zealand Māori rugby union team
• Rugby union in New Zealand
• All Blacks