Joseph Aloysius Lavery was a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 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 was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Rugby football

Lavery started his career playing for Temuka in 1901 before moving to Christchurch Albion where he was a club mate of Hubert Turtill

Hubert Turtill

"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:...

 and Charlie Pearce

Charlie Pearce

Charlie James Pearce was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...

. Lavery represented Canterbury between 1902 and 1904 and played for the South Island in 1903.

Rugby league

Lavery joined the professional All Blacks tour of Great Britain and Australia in 1907-1908, thus switching codes 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...

 as all members of the touring party received a life ban from the New Zealand Rugby Union. However, he was not in the touring parties first selection and played mostly in mid-week games, scoring two tries. Despite this Lavery played in one test match for New Zealand.

After the tour Lavery opted to stay in Britain and signed with the Leeds

Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

 club. By 1913 he had returned to New Zealand and played for Linwood in the first season

1913 New Zealand rugby league season

The 1913 New Zealand rugby league season was the 6th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.-International competitions:New Zealand toured Australia losing their first three matches to New South Wales before defeating them 17-11 in the final match. New Zealand then defeated...

 of the Canterbury Rugby League

Canterbury Rugby League

Canterbury Rugby League is the regional body that administers rugby league in Canterbury, New Zealand. CRL manages local competitions from senior level down to age group competitions. Canterbury Rugby League also manages the Canterbury rugby league team which represents the region in New Zealand...

 competition. He represented Canterbury in 1915.

Later years

Lavery fought in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

and in May 1918 the Linwood club minutes recorded a "vote of sympathy" for Lavery, "who had returned wounded".