Ernest Mair

Last updated

Ernest Mair
Personal information
Full nameErnest Hartley Mair
Born(1891-01-15)15 January 1891
Ipswich, Australia
Died12 January 1957(1957-01-12) (aged 65)
Brisbane, Australia
Coaching information
Representative
YearsTeamGmsWDLW%
192627 New Zealand 34 (4)17017 (4)

Ernest Hartley Mair was an Australian rugby league administrator & hotelier who coached the New Zealand side on their 1926-27 tour of Great Britain.

Contents

Early years

Ernest Mair was born on 15 January 1891 to a Scottish father and English mother in Ipswich. [1] He played rugby league as a youth, but was much more prominent as a swimmer, becoming President of the Toowoomba Swimming Association and also the Queensland Amateur Swimming Association. [2]

In 1920 he married Mildred Readshaw and with her ran several hotels in Toowoomba. [3]

After becoming President of the Valley club in Toowoomba and Toowoomba Junior Rugby League, Mair was appointed New Zealand Rugby League representative on the Australian Rugby League board of control. [4]

1925-26 New Zealand Tour

New Zealand lost the series 0–3 against the Great Britain Lions and also lost a test match against Wales. The tour of Britain involved several skirmishes within the Kiwi party. [5] Problems began on the boat journey over, with disputes developing about aspects of the trip and a rift developed between Mair and seven forwards. The disputes continued once the party arrived in Britain, with one of the rebels being involved in a street fight with another member of the tour party after the opening match. At a meeting with English Rugby League authorities in on 8 November, following further disturbances which almost led to the tour party being evicted from their Harrogate hotel, it was decided that Mair would withdraw from team selection and match tactics for a period of a month. [6]

The tour, and the costly disputes, continued with the rebels eventually setting sail for home a week earlier than their colleagues. Three months later all seven players (Arthur Singe, Neil Mouat, John Herbert James Wright, Alphonsus Carroll, Bill Devine, Lou Petersen and Frank Henry) were banned for life by the New Zealand Rugby League. [7]

Later life

Mair returned to Toowoomba in March 1927, becoming one of the district team selectors and was made a life member of the Toowoomba Rugby League in November 1927. [8]

In September 1929, Mair was charged with attempting to convince two men to set fire to a hotel he owned, the Commercial Hotel in Cunnamulla. Mair was discharged after the case against him collapsed. [9] 1938 Ernest Mair was in Cairns, Queensland and the team manager of Past Brothers Minor Juniors who won the 1938 Premiership in the local C.R.L (Cairns Rugby League) [10] He died on 12 January 1957 after injuries sustained after being struck by a car in Brisbane. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland Rugby League</span> Governing body of rugby league football in Queensland, Australia

The Queensland Rugby Football League (QRL) is the governing body for rugby league in Queensland. It is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission and selects the members of the Queensland rugby league team.

The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Bell</span> New Zealand rugby league footballer and coach

Dean Bell, also known by the nicknames of "Mean Dean", and "Deano", is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer, and coach. A New Zealand international representative centre, he played his club football in England, Australia and New Zealand, but most notably with Wigan, with whom he won seven consecutive Challenge Cup Finals, a Lance Todd Trophy, and a Man of Steel Award. He later coached English club Leeds for two seasons. He is a member of the famous Bell rugby league family that includes George, Ian, Cameron, Glenn, Cathy Bell and Clayton Friend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duncan Thompson</span> Australian RL coach and former Australia international rugby league footballer

Duncan Fulton Thompson MBE was an Australian veteran of both WWI and WWII and a rugby league footballer, coach and administrator. He was wounded on active service in WWI and has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century, and is regarded as the father of modern coaching. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1960 New Year Honours "for services to the community in the field of Sport."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1888 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia</span> Rugby union tour

The 1888 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was a tour by a British rugby union team, known at the time as the "English Footballers", throughout New Zealand and Australia. Although a private venture not organised by any official body, this was the first major tour of the Southern Hemisphere undertaken by a European rugby team. It paved the way for future tours by teams which are now known as British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubert Turtill</span> New Zealand rugby union player and rugby league footballer

"Jum" Hubert Sydney Turtill was a New Zealand dual-code footballer, playing rugby union and then rugby league for New Zealand. After emigrating to Britain, he served in the British Army during the First World War, and was killed while serving in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Rowe</span> NZ international rugby league footballer

Harold Francis Rowe was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain.

Morvin Renata Tewhetu Aroha Edwards is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who following the footsteps of his father Sam Edwards former NZ Kiwi rugby league player, Morvin represented New Zealand. His position of preference was at Fullback.

Samuel Weka Stewart, also known by the nicknames of "Slammin' Sam" and "Wheka", is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand. He played for the Newcastle Knights when they first started competing in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership and became the Knights first captain.

Michael James Kuiti is a New Zealand rugby league player who played professionally in England and represented New Zealand, including in test matches that counted towards the 1992 World Cup. Currently living in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

The 1913 New Zealand rugby league season was the sixth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

The 1924 New Zealand rugby league season was the 17th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

The 1926 New Zealand rugby league season was the 19th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

Ernest Buckland (1887–1945) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand between 1909 and 1911.

John Gleeson, also known by the nickname of "Dookie", was an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. An Australian international and Queensland interstate representative half, he played club football in the country for Chinchilla's team, in the Toowoomba Rugby League for the All Whites club, and in the Brisbane Rugby League for the Wynnum-Manly and Brothers clubs, winning the 1967 BRL premiership with the latter.

The 1908 New Zealand Māori rugby league tour of Australia was a tour made by a group of New Zealand Māori rugby footballers who played rugby league matches in Queensland and New South Wales. The tour had a large role in helping the New South Wales Rugby League establish itself in Sydney. As a result, the tour is a significant part of rugby league history. Financial and legal issues disrupted the end of the tour and an exhibition match held under rugby union rules was held to help pay for the team's return voyage to New Zealand.

James Carlaw was a New Zealand rugby league administrator and uncle of Arthur Carlaw, a New Zealand international.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Asher</span> NZ international rugby league footballer

Ernest "Ernie" Asher, also known as Te Keepa Pouwhiuwhiu, was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand Māori and New Zealand. His brothers included John Atirau Asher and fellow international Albert Asher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Devine</span>

William Walter Devine was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand.

The 1926–27 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team. The team lost a series 0–3 against the Lions and also lost a test match against Wales. The tour was marred by player dissatisfaction and a strike involving seven players.

References

  1. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p31
  2. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p31-2
  3. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p32
  4. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p35
  5. Baker, Andrew (20 August 1995). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". Independent, The . London: independent.co.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  6. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p161-4
  7. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN   978-1-86969-366-4.
  8. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p264
  9. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p265-6
  10. 1938 Past Brothers Premiership team photo, Thomas(Hank) McGeechan (1920-2018)member of team.
  11. Coffey, J. (2012) Strike: The Tour That Died of Shame, Scratching Shed Publications: Leeds p266