Murray Wills

Last updated

Murray Wills
Full nameMurray Clifton Wills
Date of birth (1941-10-11) 11 October 1941 (age 82)
Place of birth Hāwera, New Zealand
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight89 kg (196 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1967 New Zealand

Murray Clifton Wills (born 11 October 1941) is a New Zealand former rugby union international.

Wills, who hails from Patea, South Taranaki, was educated at Hawera High School and made the first of his 132 provincial appearances for Taranaki in 1962 at the age of 20. [1]

A loose forward, Wills was a member of the All Blacks squad for the 1967 tour of Britain, France and Canada. [2] He played in five uncapped matches over the course of the tour. [1]

Wills captained Taranaki against the 1971 British Lions. [1]

In 2010, a sports centre named after Wills was opened in his home town of Patea. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Plymouth</span> City in Taranaki, New Zealand

New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Plymouth District, which includes New Plymouth City and several smaller towns, is the 10th largest district in New Zealand, and has a population of 88,900 – about two-thirds of the total population of the Taranaki Region and 1.7% of New Zealand's population. This includes New Plymouth City (59,600), Waitara (7,550), Inglewood (3,870), Ōakura (1,730), Ōkato (561) and Urenui (429).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford, New Zealand</span> Settlement in Taranaki Region, New Zealand

Stratford is the only town in Stratford District, and the seat of the Taranaki region, in New Zealand's North Island. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki, approximately halfway between New Plymouth and Hāwera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki Region. The town has a population of 6,320, making it the 62nd largest urban area in New Zealand, and the fourth largest in Taranaki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patea</span> Town in Taranaki Region, New Zealand

Patea is the third-largest town in South Taranaki District, New Zealand. It is on the western bank of the Pātea River, 61 kilometres north-west of Whanganui on State Highway 3. Hāwera is 27 km to the north-west, and Waverley 17 km to the east. The Pātea River flows through the town from the north-east and into the South Taranaki Bight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Barbarians</span> Rugby team

The New Zealand Barbarian Rugby Club Inc., nicknamed the Barbarians, or Baa-Baas, is a rugby union club headquartered in Kingsland, Auckland. The idea came from the concept of the Barbarian F.C. The Barbarians played their home matches at Eden Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrad Smith</span> New Zealand rugby union coach and player

Conrad Gerard Smith is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, who played predominantly at centre. He captained the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and played for New Zealand from 2004 until 2015. He was a key member of New Zealand's 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams. Following the 2015 World Cup he retired from international rugby and took up a contract with Pau in France, before retiring in 2018.

David Steven Loveridge is an All Black of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world.

Taranaki Rugby, previously the Taranaki Rugby Football Union, is the governing body for rugby union in Taranaki, New Zealand; Taranaki is a region of New Zealand that covers areas in the districts of New Plymouth and South Taranaki. Established in 1889, they represent the Mitre 10 Cup side, Taranaki Bulls, and Farah Palmer Cup side, Taranaki Whio. It is also affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are amber and black and they play their home games at TET Stadium & Events Centre in Inglewood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whanganui Rugby Football Union</span> Rugby team

The Whanganui Rugby Football Union (WRFU) is the governing body for rugby union in the Whanganui region of New Zealand. The Whanganui Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Todd</span> New Zealand rugby league coach and former international

Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player, he represented New Zealand in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wigan and Dewsbury clubs. He later became the manager at Salford and led the club to three League Championships and one Challenge Cup victory.

The Cavaliers was an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986. Because of the Apartheid policies of the South African government, the official New Zealand Rugby Union tour scheduled for 1985 was cancelled, and the Cavaliers tour was very controversial in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Baker</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Kurt Baker is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or wing for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby (MLR).

Adam "Addie" Lile (1885–1954) was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

The 1908 New Zealand rugby league season was the first season that rugby league had been played in New Zealand. Auckland played Wellington in a two match series that was won by Auckland 1-0. Otago and Southland also participated in a two match series which was drawn 1-all. Auckland and Taranaki then drew a two match series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beauden Barrett</span> New Zealand rugby union player (born 1991)

Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a fly half for Japan Rugby League One club Toyota Verblitz and for the New Zealand national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Ngatai</span> Rugby player

Charlie Ngatai is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a centre, although he can also cover other backline positions. Ngatai last played for Leinster Rugby in Ireland, having previously been Captain of the Chiefs, Taranaki Rugby Football Union and of the Māori All Blacks internationally.

The 1983 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain was a series of eight matches played by the New Zealand national rugby union team in Scotland and England in October and November 1983. New Zealand won five of their eight games, drew one and lost the other two. They won neither of the two international matches, drawing with Scotland and losing to England. In the non-international fixtures they also suffered a defeat by the English Midlands Division invitational team.

Setareki Tamanivalu is a Fijian rugby union player and former All Black. He currently plays in the centre position for Toshiba Brave Lupus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Wainui</span> New Zealand rugby union player (1995–2021)

Sean Wainui was a New Zealand rugby union player. He played on the wing for provincial side Bay of Plenty, the Chiefs in Super Rugby, and for New Zealand's Māori international side the Māori All Blacks.

Pātea Māori Club is a New Zealand cultural group and performance act formed in the South Taranaki town of Pātea in 1967 as the Pātea Methodist Māori Club. In 1983, the group began to release Māori-language pop and hip hop music, produced by Dalvanius Prime with lyrics by Ngoi Pēwhairangi. Their first single, "Poi E", reached number one on the New Zealand top 50 singles chart in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Wolfe</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Thomas Neil Wolfe is a former New Zealand rugby union player, businessman, sports administrator and local politician. He played 14 matches, including six Tests, for the New Zealand national rugby team, the All Blacks, between 1961 and 1968. He was active in sports administration, including as president of the Taranaki Rugby Union and the Taranaki Jockey Club, and served as a New Plymouth district councillor between 2004 and 2010.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Murray Wills #661". stats.allblacks.com.
  2. Pugh, John (14 October 1967). "Meet the touring All Blacks". Liverpool Echo .
  3. McLean, Glenn (7 June 2010). "Ex-All Black opens centre". Stuff.co.nz . Archived from the original on 8 June 2010.