Adam Lile

Adam "Addie" Lile was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.[1]

Adam Lile
Playing information
Weight89 kg (14 st 0 lb)
Rugby union
PositionBack row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Wellington
Rugby league
PositionLoose forward
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1907–1909 New Zealand 6 0 0 0 0
1908 Wellington
1908–19?? Taranaki
Source: [1]

Early years

Originally from Taranaki, Lile enlisted in the Army for the Boer War but was sent home from South Africa when it was discovered that he was only 15.[2] Lile remained in the Army and became an Artillery man.

Rugby union career

Lile played rugby union for the Oriental club in Wellington alongside Albert Baskiville and was a Wellington representative. Lile was widely regarded as being one of the top 30 players in the country during the 1907 season and he won North Island selection that year.[3]

Rugby league career

Lile was selected by Baskiville to be part of the professional All Blacks 1907-1908 tour of Australia and Great Britain. As a result, he received a life ban from the New Zealand Rugby Union. During the tour his background as a soldier proved useful as he often led the team in training drills. While on tour Lile played in three test matches and scored two tries in all tour games.

On his return from the tour Lile was instrumental to the foundation of the Taranaki Rugby League. The team met with immediate success and in the 1909 season defeated both Wellington and Auckland, despite both teams featuring many of his fellow tourists. Lile was the Taranaki player-coach in both the 1908 and 1909 seasons.

Lile was part of the 1909 New Zealand tour of Australia, playing in all three test matches.

Legacy

Lile has a street named after him, Adam Lile Drive, in New Plymouth.[4]

The Taranaki Rugby League club trophy is also named the "Lile Shield" in his honour.[2]

In 2008 he was named in the Taranaki Rugby League Team of the Century.[5]

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References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8
  3. John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1
  4. Taranaki Trivia Archived 19 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine Puke Ariki, Accessed 20 August 2009
  5. "Dream team of century is named". Taranaki Daily News. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
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