Jack McLeod (rugby league)

Jack McLeod

Personal information
Full name	John McLeod
Born	18 March 1909 Opunake, Taranaki, New Zealand
Died	Deceased
Playing information
Weight	12 st 12 lb (82 kg)
Rugby union
Position	Centre, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1930–32 Star (Taranaki)
Rugby league
Position	Second-row, Loose forward
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1933–36 Western Suburbs (TRL) 8 7 1 1 27 1933 Eastern Suburbs (preseason) 1 1 0 0 3 1937–40 Richmond Rovers 61 15 9 0 63 Total 70 23 10 1 93 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1932–35 Taranaki 5 3 0 0 9 1934 North Island 1 0 0 0 0 1937–40 Auckland Māori 5 0 0 0 0 1937–39 New Zealand Trial 3 0 0 0 0 1937–38 New Zealand 8 (1) 4 0 0 12 1937 New Zealand Māori 2 1 0 0 3 1938 Auckland 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [1] [2]

Jack McLeod is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand. ^[2]

Personal life

Jack McLeod was born on March 18, 1909. His parents were William Sutherland McLeod and Ada Rahunga (nee Peters) McLeod. He had several siblings and played with his older brother Jim (James) until his death in 1934. His great grandfather was Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke. ^[3]

Playing career

McLeod second from right, training with New Zealand at Carlaw Park before they departed for Australia in 1938.

McLeod played for Taranaki and Auckland. He was originally a rugby union player for the Star club in Taranaki but switched codes at the end of the 1932 season to join the Taranaki team which played the Marist Old Boys club side from Auckland which featured 6 New Zealand internationals at Pukekura Park. He transferred from Taranaki in 1937 and joined the Richmond Rovers club. While there McLeod was selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1937, playing against Australia. ^[4] Four days after the 1937 test, McLeod was part of the New Zealand Māori side that defeated Australia 16-5. ^[5] He was surprisingly omitted from the second test team to Play Australia days after the New Zealand Māori win.

He toured Australia with New Zealand in 1938 however no test matches were played on the tour. He played in 7 of the 9 tour matches. The first at hooker against New South Wales, with the remainder in the second row. He then played for New Zealand in their match against Auckland following their return. ^[6]

Legacy

In 2008 he was named in the Taranaki Rugby League Team of the Century. ^[7]

References

1. "Papers Past" . Retrieved 29 August 2021.
2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. "Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitake". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
4. McLEOD, John - 1937 - 38 ^{[ permanent dead link ]}nzleague.co.nz
5. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 108. ISBN   978-1-86969-331-2.
6. "Kiwis Tour 1938". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
7. "Dream team of century is named". Taranaki Daily News . 14 October 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2011.