William Mackrell
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Henry Clifton Mackrell was a New Zealand
rugby football
er who represented his country in both rugby union
and rugby league
. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.
for the City Newton club. He represented Auckland
between 1901 and 1905 and earned North Island selection in 1905. His last first class rugby union match in New Zealand was for Auckland against the All Blacks
in 1905 as they prepared for a short tour of Australia.
Mackrell was then selected to be part of the The Original All Blacks 1905 tour of Great Britain and France but injury hampered his tour and he played in only one test match, against France
in Paris
on New Years Day, 1906. On his return he was replaced in the Auckland side by Charlie Dunning.
and William Trevarthan, was selected for the professional All Blacks in their 1907-1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia. As a result he received a life ban from the New Zealand Rugby Union. He played in two test matches on the tour, including the first ever rugby league
test match against Wales
on New Years Day, 1908.
When he returned to New Zealand, Mackrell was involved in establishing the Newton rugby league club. He also played in the first ever provincial game of rugby league in New Zealand, helping Auckland
defeat Wellington
16-14 on 24 August 1908. Mackrell received a kick to the head in a 1912 match which forced his retirement and may have also led to his early death.
Mackrell died in Auckland on 15 July 1917 as a result of a paralytic seizure, five days before his 36th birthday.
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 represented his country in both rugby union
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...
and 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...
. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.
Rugby Football
Mackrell began playing rugby unionRugby 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...
for the City Newton club. He represented Auckland
Auckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
between 1901 and 1905 and earned North Island selection in 1905. His last first class rugby union match in New Zealand was for Auckland against 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....
in 1905 as they prepared for a short tour of Australia.
Mackrell was then selected to be part of the The Original All Blacks 1905 tour of Great Britain and France but injury hampered his tour and he played in only one test match, 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...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on New Years Day, 1906. On his return he was replaced in the Auckland side by Charlie Dunning.
Rugby League
Mackrell, along with Newton team mates Harold RoweHarold Rowe
Harold Francis Rowe was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.-Rugby Football:...
and William Trevarthan, was selected for the professional All Blacks in their 1907-1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia. As a result he received a life ban from the New Zealand Rugby Union. He played in two test matches on the tour, including the first ever 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...
test match against Wales
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
on New Years Day, 1908.
When he returned to New Zealand, Mackrell was involved in establishing the Newton rugby league club. He also played in the first ever provincial game of rugby league in New Zealand, helping Auckland
Auckland rugby league team
The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...
defeat Wellington
Wellington Rugby League
Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative team, the Wellington rugby league team.- Local Senior Competition :The...
16-14 on 24 August 1908. Mackrell received a kick to the head in a 1912 match which forced his retirement and may have also led to his early death.
Mackrell died in Auckland on 15 July 1917 as a result of a paralytic seizure, five days before his 36th birthday.