Charles James Fitzgerald (born 6 June 1899 in Fairhall

Fairhall

Fairhall is a locality in Marlborough, New Zealand. Blenheim is about 7.5 km to the northeast. The Fairhall River runs past to the west.The river and locality were named in 1847 for a chainman in a survey team in the area.-Education:...

 – died 8 May 1961 in Awatere Valley) was a New Zealand

New Zealanders

New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis, are citizens of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multiethnic society, and home to people of many different national origins...

 dual-code international rugby football

Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

er who represented New Zealand in rugby union and rugby league

New Zealand national rugby league team

The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...

. Fitzgerald was a utility back in both codes.

Rugby union career

Fitzgerald represented Marlborough

Marlborough Rugby Union

Marlborough Rugby Union was a New Zealand rugby union team that played from 1888-2005.Marlborough was founded in 1888 and played at Lansdowne Park in Blenheim.-Championships:...

 between 1917 and 1921, appearing for the union in every backline position except fullback. He played for a combined Nelson

Nelson Rugby Union

Nelson Rugby Union was founded in 1885, and played provincial rugby until 1967 when they decided to merge with the Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union to create Nelson-Bays.-Nelson in Ranfurly Shield:...

-Marlborough

Marlborough Rugby Union

Marlborough Rugby Union was a New Zealand rugby union team that played from 1888-2005.Marlborough was founded in 1888 and played at Lansdowne Park in Blenheim.-Championships:...

-Golden Bay-Motueka

Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union

Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union was founded in 1920, and played provincial rugby until 1967 when they decided to merge with the Nelson Rugby Union to create Nelson Bays.-Golden Bay-Motueka in Ranfurly Shield:...

 side against the 1921 Springboks

South Africa national rugby union team

The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...

 kicking a penalty goal in the side's 26–3 defeat. In that game he lined up alongside fellow future dual-international Jim O'Brien

Andrew O'Brien (rugby)

Andrew James "Jim" O'Brien was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in rugby union and rugby league.-Rugby union career:...

.

Fitzgerald played for the South Island in 1922, scoring a try in the inter-island match. Following this he was selected for New Zealand, playing in five matches on a tour of New Zealand and Australia. Fitzgerald represented New Zealand (RU) in the 12–11 victory over Wairarapa

Wairarapa Rugby Football Union

The Wairarapa Rugby Football Union was formed in 1886 and played until 1971, when they amalgamated with the Bush Rugby Football Union to form Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union.-Ranfurly Shield:...

 at Carterton

Carterton, New Zealand

Carterton is a small town in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and the seat of the Carterton District. It lies in a farming area of the Wairarapa in New Zealand's North Island. It is located southwest of Masterton and northeast of Wellington...

 on 19 July 1922, the 26–19 victory over New South Wales

New South Wales Rugby Union

The New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...

 at Sydney on 29 July 1922, the 24–6 victory over Metropolitan Union at Sydney on 2 August 1922, the 6–8 defeat to New South Wales

New South Wales Rugby Union

The New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...

 at Sydney on 7 August 1922, and scored a penalty

Penalty (rugby union)

A penalty in rugby union is the main disciplinary sanction available to the referee to penalise a team who commit deliberate infringements. The team who did not commit the infringement are given possession of the ball and they may either kick it towards touch , attempt a place kick at goal, or tap...

 in the 45–11 victory over Manawatu

Manawatu Rugby Union

Manawatu Rugby Union is the governing body of the sport of Rugby union in the Manawatu rugby province. The Union is based in the city of Palmerston North but has a catchment area from nearby towns in the province, including Feilding, Rongotea, Linton, Bulls, Pahiatua, Dannevirke and...

-Wellington

Wellington Rugby Football Union

The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...

 XV at Palmerston North

Palmerston North

Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...

 on 16 August 1922 but never played a Test match for his country.

In 1923 Fitzgerald moved to Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, joining the Marist Old Boys club. However the club was expelled from the Canterbury Rugby Union in April 1924 and Fitzgerald followed to club to rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

.

Rugby league career

Fitzgerald excelled in rugby league and in his debut year he made the national side, playing in two Test matches against Great Britain. He played for the South Island

South Island rugby league team

The South Island rugby league team represents the Southern Zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. The Zone represented the Southland, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury and Tasman districts. They are nicknamed the Scorpions...

in 1925.