Rube McWilliams

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Rube McWilliams
All Blacks Souvenir Book, 1928 (Ruben McWilliams) (cropped).jpg
BornRuben George McWilliams
(1901-06-12)12 June 1901
Paeroa, New Zealand
Died27 January 1984(1984-01-27) (aged 82)
Auckland, New Zealand
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight91 kg (201 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Loose forward
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1922–30 Auckland ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1928–30 New Zealand 10 (3)

Ruben George McWilliams (12 June 1901 – 27 January 1984), commonly known as Rube, [1] [2] was a New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, McWilliams represented Auckland at a provincial level from 1922, [3] and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1928 to 1930. He played 27 matches for the All Blacks and was the first to play 10 consecutive tests, [4] scoring 25 points (seven tries and two conversions) in all. [1] [5]

Contents

Early life and family

McWilliams was born on 12 June 1901 in Paeroa. [1] His father was James Alexander McWilliams (1854–1935), described as one of the pioneers from the Waikato. [6] McWilliams junior attended Eureka School and Hamilton West School, so named of the Hamilton suburb. [1] [7] Tom McWilliams, the radio operator for Charles Kingsford Smith's 1928 Trans-Pacific flight, was Ruben McWilliams' cousin. [8]

Rugby union career

In 1927, McWilliams was described as a "dashing forward" and "very fast", weighing in at 201 lb (14 st 5 lb; 91 kg) and standing 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall. [3] [9] McWilliams was chosen in October 1927 for his international debut against South Africa as part of the 1928 New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa; [10] the game was played at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban in June 1928. [11] At the time, McWilliams and his fellow All Black Fred Lucas both played for Ponsonby RFC. [12] Following the South Africa tour, the Waikato Times described McWilliams as the country's best forward. [13] On their return to New Zealand, the five representatives from Auckland (apart from McWilliams and Lucas, there were Toby Sheen, Swin Hadley, and Innes Finlayson) were welcomed at the Chamber of Commerce by rugby union officials and the deputy mayor of Auckland, Andrew Entrican. [14] In 1930, McWilliams was appointed as coach for the Frankton Football Club in Hamilton, [15] [16] but he also captained the team. [17] [18]

In 1937, McWilliams was used as co-selector for the All Blacks for the upcoming match against South Africa. [19] He missed the fiftieth reunion of the 1928 tour held in 1978 in Christchurch for health reasons. [2]

Yachting

McWilliams was a member of the Ponsonby Cruising Club and competed with them in yachting. [20]

Death

McWilliams died on 27 January 1984. [1] He is buried at Waikumete Cemetery. [21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Luxford, Bob. "Rube McWilliams". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 "All Black reunion". The Press . 11 August 1978. p. 20. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Rugby". Poverty Bay Herald . Vol. LIII, no. 16464. 7 October 1927. p. 4. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  4. ↑ Dine, Jonty; Reporter, Sports (25 August 2024). "Which year saw the greatest new class of All Blacks?". RNZ. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  5. ↑ "R. G. McWilliams". Daily Telegraph. Napier. 26 June 1928. Retrieved 19 September 2025– via Papers Past.
  6. ↑ "Obituary". Waikato Times . Vol. 118, no. 19704. 11 October 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Rugby football". Waikato Times . Vol. 107, no. 17977. 24 March 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  8. ↑ "The Rugby World". Manawatū Standard . Vol. XLVIII, no. 205. 28 July 1928. p. 18. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  9. ↑ "Giants of the fern leaf are they". NZ Truth . No. 1141. 13 October 1927. p. 12. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "For South Africa". Franklin Times. Vol. XVII, no. 116. 7 October 1927. p. 4. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "All Blacks defeated". Waipukurau Press. Vol. XXII, no. 228. 2 July 1928. p. 7. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  12. ↑ "Farewell to All Blacks". Sun (Auckland). Vol. II, no. 321. 4 April 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "R. McWilliams". Waikato Times . Vol. 104, no. 17485. 20 August 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  14. ↑ "Home again!". Auckland Star . Vol. LIX, no. 239. 9 October 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "Rugby stalwart". Waikato Times . Vol. 107, no. 17974. 20 March 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  16. ↑ "Personal". Waikato Independent. Vol. XXX, no. 2314. 22 March 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  17. ↑ "A fair exchange". Sun (Auckland). Vol. IV, no. 942. 8 April 1930. p. 7. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "Manukau and Ponsonby". Sun (Auckland). Vol. IV, no. 979. 23 May 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "Rugby union". Auckland Star . Vol. LXVIII, no. 63. 16 March 1937. p. 15. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  20. ↑ "Yachting". Auckland Star . Vol. LIX, no. 139. 14 June 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "Record for Ruben George Mcwilliams". Auckland Council . Retrieved 20 September 2025.
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