Full name | Charles Kesteven Saxton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 23 May 1913 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Kurow, North Otago, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 4 July 2001 88) | (aged||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 67 kg (148 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Charles Kesteven Saxton MBE (23 May 1913 – 4 July 2001) was a New Zealand rugby union and cricket player, coach and administrator.
Born at Kurow in North Otago, Saxton was educated at Otago Boys' High School in Dunedin, where he was a member of the school's 1st XV rugby team between 1931 and 1932 coached by Jimmy Duncan. [1] [2]
A halfback, Saxton represented Otago, South Canterbury, and Southland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1938. He played seven matches for the All Blacks including three internationals. At the conclusion of World War II he captained the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force "Kiwis" team on their 1945–46 tour of Britain and Europe. [1]
Returning to New Zealand, Saxton coached the Pirates club in Dunedin, and was an assistant coach of the Otago team from 1948 to 1957. In 1967 he managed the All Blacks on their tour of Britain, France and Canada. Saxton served on the council of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) from 1957 to 1971 and was president of the NZRFU in 1974. He was elected a life member of the NZRFU two years later. [1]
In 1967, Saxton wrote the coaching booklet The ABC of Rugby, which had a print run of 70,000 copies, in conjunction with the NZRFU. [1] [3]
In the 1978 New Year Honours, Saxton was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby. [4]
Cricket information | |||||||||||||||
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Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
1934/35–1938/39 | Otago | ||||||||||||||
FC debut | 24 December 1934 Otago v Wellington | ||||||||||||||
Last FC | 31 December 1938 Otago v Auckland | ||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source:CricketArchive,29 December 2023 |
An opening batsman [5] and occasional wicketkeeper,Saxton played seven first-class games for Otago between the 1934–35 and 1938–39 seasons. He scored 226 runs at an average of 17.38,with a high score of 37,playing in all three of Otago's Plunket Shield matches during 1934–35 and appearing in two Shield matches and against the touring MCC side in the following season. His final first-class match against Auckland was played during 1938–39. [6] He later assisted with coaching Otago between 1948–49 and 1956–57. [2]
During World War II,Saxton served with the 19th Armoured Regiment,rising to the rank of major and seeing active service in North Africa and Italy. [1]
Saxton owned and ran a menswear shop in Dunedin for many years. He died at Dunedin in 2001 from complications caused by emphysema at the age of 88. His funeral was held at Carisbrook. [2] [5] In his eulogy,Fred Allen described Saxton as "a New Zealand icon". [7]
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The Otago cricket team,nicknamed the Volts since the 1997–98 season,are a New Zealand first-class cricket team which first played representative cricket in 1864. The team represents the Otago,Southland and North Otago regions of New Zealand's South Island. Their main governing board is the Otago Cricket Association which is one of six major associations that make up New Zealand Cricket.
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William Nicol Carson was a New Zealand sportsman who represented his country at both cricket and rugby union.
William Henry Tracey Campbell Penney Vallange was an English cricketer and medical doctor who played one first-class match in New Zealand for Otago.
Alfred George Eckhold was an Australian-New Zealand sportsman who played first-class cricket for Otago and represented the All-Blacks at rugby union.
Victor George Cavanagh,known as "Young Vic" Cavanagh,was a New Zealand rugby union administrator. He was born at Caversham in Dunedin in 1909,the son of "Old Vic" Cavanagh. Between them,they had a major impact on the development of the sport of rugby union within New Zealand.
John Burns Smith was a New Zealand rugby union player,soldier,sportsman and baker. He was an All Black captain,and despite only playing nine matches is recognised as a great. His 26 appearances for the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force rugby team,which toured the UK in 1946–47,earned him high praise. He also played for the New Zealand Māori,being of Ngāpuhi descent.
James Clark Baker,also known as James Clark,was an English-born New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Otago between the 1889/90 and 1906/07 seasons. Baker was born at London in England. In 1902 he scored Otago's first century in first-class cricket.
Ata Mamea Matatumua is a former Samoan cricketer who played in New Zealand domestic competitions in the 1960s. His first-class career consisted of eight matches for Otago.
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Reginald Clive Bell was a New Zealand rugby union player and cricketer. He was a member of the New Zealand national rugby side,the All Blacks,in 1922,playing eight matches. He played four first-class matches for Otago between the 1914–15 and 1920–21 seasons.
Arthur Ernest Berry was a New Zealand sportsman. He played four first-class cricket matches for Otago during the 1955–56 season and played against touring international rugby union sides.
William Gordon Dixon was an English-born cricketer. He played nine first-class matches in New Zealand for Otago between the 1875–76 and 1885–86 seasons.
Allen Clyde Holden was a New Zealand cricketer. He played two first-class matches for Otago,one in each of the 1937–38 and 1939–40 seasons.
John Hope was a New Zealand sportsman. He played 22 first-class cricket matches for Otago between the 1885–86 and 1899–1900 seasons and played representative rugby union for the Otago and Southland Rugby Football Unions. He was later a prominent sports administrator in the province.
William Nelson Vorrath was a New Zealand sportsman. Vorrath played six first-class cricket matches for Otago between the 1927–28 and 1929–30 seasons and represented Otago at rugby league.
Eric Alexander Watson was a New Zealand rugby union coach and sportsman. He coached the New Zealand national rugby union team for two years,played for the Otago Rugby Football Union,represented Otago at lawn bowls,and played 46 first-class cricket matches for the Otago cricket team.