Jimmy Hunter
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Hunter was a rugby union
footballer who played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks
. He played mainly at second five-eighth, although he could play any position in the backline. He played for Hawera Club before being selected for Taranaki
in 1898 and the North Island
in 1904 before his first All Blacks selection in 1905. He toured with the 1905 All Blacks that travelled to Great Britain, France and North America. After returning he continued to be selected for the All Blacks until retiring after the 1908 season.
. He then joined the Hawera Rugby Club and was selected to play for Taranaki
in 1898 at the age of 18. He played in almost every position in the Taranaki backline before settling on second five-eighth. He continued to play for Taranaki and played for them against the touring Great Britain
team that toured New Zealand in 1904. He was also selected to play for the All Blacks to play the one Test match against Great Britain, but after an injuring himself the day before the match, he was replaced. He was first selected for the North Island
team in the annual inter-island match that year as well. In 1905 he captained the North Island to a 26–0 victory over the South Island
; the match was also used as a trial for the All Blacks team to tour the British Isles
that year.
He was selected for the New Zealand team that toured the New Zealand and Australia that July. This was a preliminary tour and Hunter was appointed captain. Although there were seven matches, Hunter only played in three. He was selected for the final squad the tour the Northern Hemisphere
, but was replaced by Dave Gallaher
as captain and Billy Stead
as vice-captain. The team became famously known as The Original All Blacks, and played a total of 35 matches.
The first of Hunter's 24 matches on tour was the match against Devon
in Exeter
. He scored eight tries
in his first four games on tour, and after nine games had scored 23. He twice scored five tries in a single match on the tour, the first of which was against Northumberland. The second was when they played Oxford University
, and the Morning Leader wrote "Hunter was the most destructive medium on attack and his personal tally was five tries. One half of this little wonder's tricks have not been told yet and the Oxford men were simply paralysed by his tenacity." His next match was against Richmond
. Hunter played at half-back for that match, and the Athletic News wrote of his performance "it could only be a player like Hunter who, by the way, was brought to halfback, who could have got through the stonewall arrangements by which Richmond defied the New Zealanders for 30 minutes."
Hunter did play in the All Blacks all five Tests on the tour, including the 3–0 loss to Wales
. His first ever Test was the 12–7 victory over Scotland
, and his first ever Test try was scored against France
when he scored two in the All Blacks 38–8 victory. Hunter finished the tour with 44 tries which is described by writer Paul Verdon as "a sensational feat that has never been approached in the near-century of New Zealand tours and is most unlikely ever to be."
He continued to play for Taranaki, the North Island and the All Blacks following the tour, and captained the All Blacks in their 1907 tour of Australia. He captained all three Tests against Australia
; the first two won 26–6 and then 14–5 and the third drawn 5–5. Hunter then played in all three Tests against the Anglo-Welsh team that toured New Zealand in 1908
, and captained the second. Following the 1908 season he retired from active play. After his retirement he farmed at Mangamahu. His homestead was called Oeta and is still in existence.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer who played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. He played mainly at second five-eighth, although he could play any position in the backline. He played for Hawera Club before being selected for Taranaki
Taranaki Rugby Union
Taranaki Rugby Football Union is the governing body of Rugby in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. The main stadium is Yarrow Stadium which is in the main centre of New Plymouth. Taranaki plays in the annual ITM Cup in which it also competes for the Ranfurly shield...
in 1898 and the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
in 1904 before his first All Blacks selection in 1905. He toured with the 1905 All Blacks that travelled to Great Britain, France and North America. After returning he continued to be selected for the All Blacks until retiring after the 1908 season.
Playing career
Hunter was from a farming family in Taranaki, and attended Wanganui CollegiateWanganui Collegiate School
Wanganui Collegiate School is an independent, coeducational, day and boarding secondary school in Wanganui, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglican church.-About:...
. He then joined the Hawera Rugby Club and was selected to play for Taranaki
Taranaki Rugby Union
Taranaki Rugby Football Union is the governing body of Rugby in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. The main stadium is Yarrow Stadium which is in the main centre of New Plymouth. Taranaki plays in the annual ITM Cup in which it also competes for the Ranfurly shield...
in 1898 at the age of 18. He played in almost every position in the Taranaki backline before settling on second five-eighth. He continued to play for Taranaki and played for them against the touring Great Britain
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
team that toured New Zealand in 1904. He was also selected to play for the All Blacks to play the one Test match against Great Britain, but after an injuring himself the day before the match, he was replaced. He was first selected for the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
team in the annual inter-island match that year as well. In 1905 he captained the North Island to a 26–0 victory over the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
; the match was also used as a trial for the All Blacks team to tour the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
that year.
He was selected for the New Zealand team that toured the New Zealand and Australia that July. This was a preliminary tour and Hunter was appointed captain. Although there were seven matches, Hunter only played in three. He was selected for the final squad the tour the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
, but was replaced by Dave Gallaher
Dave Gallaher
David "Dave" Gallaher was a New Zealand rugby union footballer, best known as the captain of "The Originals", the first New Zealand national rugby union team to be known as the All Blacks....
as captain and Billy Stead
Billy Stead
Billy Stead was a New Zealand rugby union player born in Invercargill who played for the All Blacks in their 1905 tour. Stead also played for Southland, and later coached various teams, including Southland and the New Zealand Māori...
as vice-captain. The team became famously known as The Original All Blacks, and played a total of 35 matches.
The first of Hunter's 24 matches on tour was the match against Devon
Exeter Chiefs
Exeter Rugby Club are a rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon.The Exeter club was formed around 1871 and played its first match in 1873. The first team has been rebranded as the Exeter Chiefs and play in a strip of Black , White ....
in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. He scored eight tries
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
in his first four games on tour, and after nine games had scored 23. He twice scored five tries in a single match on the tour, the first of which was against Northumberland. The second was when they played Oxford University
Oxford University RFC
The Oxford University Rugby Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.-History:...
, and the Morning Leader wrote "Hunter was the most destructive medium on attack and his personal tally was five tries. One half of this little wonder's tricks have not been told yet and the Oxford men were simply paralysed by his tenacity." His next match was against Richmond
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
. Hunter played at half-back for that match, and the Athletic News wrote of his performance "it could only be a player like Hunter who, by the way, was brought to halfback, who could have got through the stonewall arrangements by which Richmond defied the New Zealanders for 30 minutes."
Hunter did play in the All Blacks all five Tests on the tour, including the 3–0 loss to Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. His first ever Test was the 12–7 victory over Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, and his first ever Test try was scored against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
when he scored two in the All Blacks 38–8 victory. Hunter finished the tour with 44 tries which is described by writer Paul Verdon as "a sensational feat that has never been approached in the near-century of New Zealand tours and is most unlikely ever to be."
He continued to play for Taranaki, the North Island and the All Blacks following the tour, and captained the All Blacks in their 1907 tour of Australia. He captained all three Tests against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
; the first two won 26–6 and then 14–5 and the third drawn 5–5. Hunter then played in all three Tests against the Anglo-Welsh team that toured New Zealand in 1908
1908 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
The 1908 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was the seventh tour by a British Isles team and the fourth to New Zealand and Australia. The tour is often referred to as the Anglo-Welsh Tour as only English and Welsh players were selected due to the Irish and Scottish Rugby Unions not...
, and captained the second. Following the 1908 season he retired from active play. After his retirement he farmed at Mangamahu. His homestead was called Oeta and is still in existence.