Morvin Edwards

Morvin Edwards

Personal information
Full name	Morvin Renata Tewhetu Aroha Edwards
Born	(1968-05-08) 8 May 1968 (age 56) Wellington, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	87 kg (13 st 10 lb)
Position	Fullback, Centre, Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 19?? Upper Hutt Tigers 1988–89 Swinton 10 5 0 0 20 1991–93 Leeds 37 7 0 0 28 1993–94 Balmain Tigers 26 6 2 0 28 1995–98 Penrith Panthers 38 4 0 0 16 Total 111 22 2 0 92 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1988–91 Wellington 27 1990 New Zealand Māori 1 0 2 0 4 1989–93 New Zealand 11 0 2 0 4
Source: [1]

Morvin Renata Tewhetu Aroha Edwards ^[2] (born 8 May 1968) 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.

Playing career

Edwards played for the Upper Hutt club and represented Wellington before moving to England. He won a premiership with Upper Hutt and captained Wellington to their first ever win over a touring international side. ^[3]

In England he played for both Swinton and Leeds. ^[4]

After leaving Leeds he attracted interest from Oldham but ultimately decided to move to Australia and join Balmain. ^[5] He moved to Penrith in 1995, playing thirty eight games for the club before retiring.

Representative career

In 1990, Morvin Edwards played his first two Tests for New Zealand against the touring Great Britain Lions, playing from the bench in the 1st Test at the Palmerston North Showgrounds and again from the bench in the 3rd Test at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch. He was a member of the 1989 New Zealand tour of Great Britain and France, but did not play a Test on tour.

In 1990 he also played two Test series win over Papua New Guinea in Papua New Guinea, playing at fullback against the Kumuls in Goroka where he kicked 2 goals scoring his only Test points, and then from the bench at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby. He was then selected on the wing for the Kiwis in their single Test against Australia at the Athletic Park in Wellington.

Edwards wasn't to see Test football again until 1993 following a season ending knee injury to regular Kiwis Test fullback Matthew Ridge while playing for Manly-Warringah. This saw coach Howie Tamati recall Edwards to the No.1 jumper which he kept throughout the year including the 0–2 1993 Trans-Tasman Test series loss to Australia in June (the first test at Mount Smart in Auckland was a 14–all draw but Australia won the last two tests 16–8 in Palmerston and 16–4 at Lang Park in Brisbane), as well as the 0–3 whitewash handed to the Kiwis by Great Britain on the 1993 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France. To start their 1993 Britain and France tour, the Kiwis had played a test against Wales at the Vetch Field in Swansea, winning 24–19. Then came reality as the Lions won the 1st Test 17–0 at the famous Wembley Stadium in London, the 2nd Test 29–12 at Central Park in Wigan before wrapping up their series whitewash with a 29–10 win at Headingley in Leeds.

Morvin Edwards played his last test for New Zealand in their 36–11 win over France at the Stade d'Albert Domec in Carcassonne to end the 1993 tour.

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 279. ISBN   9781869693312.
3. Team of the Century - Week 1 Wellington Rugby League
4. Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN   1-86971-090-8
5. Gallagher bid The Independent, 17 September 1992

Sources

• Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson (2007). The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Wetherill Park, New South Wales: Gary Allen Pty Ltd. ISBN   978-1-877082-93-1.