Bill Williams (rugby league)

Bill Williams (1899 – 21 November 1927) was Kiwi number 123.[1] He played in 4 test matches for New Zealand debuting in 1919 and last playing for them in 1921. Williams played for the Newton Rangers club in Auckland from 1915 to 1924.

Bill Williams
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Williams
Born1899
New Zealand
Died21 November 1927
Auckland
Playing information
PositionSecond-row, Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1915–24 Newton Rangers (ARL) 15 2 1 51
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1918–21 Auckland 5 0 0 0 0
1919–21 New Zealand 21 4 0 0 12

Playing career

Williams was a forward and made his debut for the Newton Rangers senior team in 1915 aged just 16.[2] With so many men going away to fight in the war the senior ranks became populated by very young players and older players as teams struggled to continue to field sides. Auckland played very few representative matches during the war years and he wasn’t to debut for Auckland until 1918. He played in a trial match on 7 September to help pick the Auckland side.[3] He was then picked for the Auckland team and was part of the 45–9 win over Canterbury played at the Auckland Domain in front of 10,000 spectators.[4]

In 1919 Williams had a very busy season. He played in a New Zealand trial match on 14 May and was part of the A Team which lost 14–15. He was subsequently selected for the New Zealand team to tour Australia. On 24 May he made his New Zealand debut in a match against Auckland prior to the teams departure for Australia.[5] New Zealand won the match 25–19.

Williams was to play in 10 of the 11 tour matches which along with Stan Walters was the most of any of the touring 22.[6] He played in 4 losses to New South Wales (18–23, 9–20, 31–39, and 19–22), 2 losses to Queensland (13–26, 13–16) and wins over Tamworth (21–13), Northern Division (11–8), Rockhampton (23–0), and Toowoomba (42–14). He scored twice in the thrashing of Toowoomba which was the final match of the tour. He played in the second row in all the matches aside from the wins over Tamworth and Northern Division where he played at hooker.[7]

A month later the Australian side was to tour New Zealand playing 9 matches including 4 tests. Williams was to become very familiar with the tourists after he played in all 4 tests and a match for Auckland against them.

Williams test debut came in the 21–44 defeat at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in front of 8,000 spectators.[8][9] A week later Williams was part of the victorious New Zealand team in the second test with New Zealand winning 26–10 at Sydenham Park, Christchurch in front of 7,200 fans.[10] Williams scored the first try early in the match after taking a pass from Karl Ifwersen and scoring near the corner.[11] The third test was played in Auckland and Williams played in front of 20,000 spectators at the Auckland Domain.[12] New Zealand went down 23–34.[13] Williams was to play his final test match for New Zealand in the 4th test once again at the Auckland Domain. New Zealand was completely outplayed by the Australians who won by 32 points to 2 in front of 15,000.[14][15] Following the match Williams was selected to play for Auckland against Australia. For this match Williams moved into the front row but again had a hard time of it with Auckland defeated 8–32 in front of a crowd of 15,000 at the Auckland Domain.[16][17]

In 1920 Williams did not play rugby league but returned to the field in 1921, again wearing the Newton jersey. He was selected to play for New Zealand again on their tour of Australia and he played for them against the Auckland team at the Auckland Domain prior to leaving for Australia. New Zealand won 22–16 with Williams scoring a try just before halftime to take the lead out to 13–8.[18]

Williams played in the first 4 tour matches and the final match. New Zealand was thrashed 56 points to 9 by New South Wales with Williams playing in the second row.[19] He was to play all of his matches in this position.[20] He had a happier time of it in the second match against Queensland 25–12 in front of 35,000 spectators. Despite the opponents being from the north the match was played at Sydney Cricket Ground. Williams crossed for a try in the second half.[21] Williams travelled north to Brisbane where New Zealand were defeated by Queensland 16–21 on 11 June at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground.[22] Queensland again defeated New Zealand 8–3 a week later with Williams once again playing in the second row.[23] He wasn’t to play again until the final tour match against Newcastle which New Zealand won 27–14 the Newcastle Showgrounds in very wet conditions.[24] This was to be the last time Williams would pull on the New Zealand jersey.

After the tour Williams returned to Auckland where he was to play 3 matches in an Auckland jumper. He played in a 31–8 win over Wellington in what was the first ever match for Auckland on Carlaw Park.[25] He then played in an 18–3 defeat of Hawke’s Bay,[26] and a 58–25 thrashing of King Country.[27]

Williams played 3 more seasons for Newton before seemingly giving the game up. In 1924 he did have the bizarre distinction of kicking an unintentional drop goal during a club match against Ponsonby United. Williams was dribbling the ball down the field when he kicked it over the cross bar before falling on it thinking he had scored a try. However the referee had already blown his whistle to award the 2 points for the drop goal rather than the three for the try.[28]

Death

Bill Williams died on 21 November 1927 aged just 28 when the 12 ft mullet yacht he was sailing capsized on its way from Milford on Auckland’s North Shore to Islington Bay on Rangitoto Island.[29][30] Williams who was said to be a good sailor had persuaded Stanley John Easdown to go with him to Islington Bay to go fishing and shooting. They later saw James Bowman at Milford and he asked them if he could also go.[31] The lone survivor (Easdown) went through harrowing conditions both in the water and once ashore on Rangitoto Island in an attempt to find help. A search failed to find either his body or that of James Bowman.[32]

Williams was married and living in Takapuna at the time with his wife and family.

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References
  1. "Past Kiwi's". New Zealand Rugby League. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  2. "Teams For Tomorrow/Newton Rangers". The New Zealand Herald. LII (15953). 25 June 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. "Selector's Test Match/Auckland Team Chosen". The New Zealand Herald. LV (16950). 9 September 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  4. "Auckland Defeats Canterbury/Forty-Five Points to Nine". The New Zealand Herald. LV (16956). 16 September 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  5. "New Zealand Beats Auckland/Keenly Contested Game". The New Zealand Herald. LVI (17170). 26 May 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  6. "All Blacks Tour 1919". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  7. "All Blacks Tour 1919". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  8. "New Zealand vs Australia 1st Test". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  9. "League Football/Australia V New Zealand". 12 (282). Dominion. 25 August 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  10. "New Zealand vs Australia 2nd Test". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  11. "Australia V New Zealand". 12 (288). Dominion. 1 September 1919. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  12. "Third League Test/Australia V New Zealand/Win for the Visitors". The New Zealand Herald. LVI (17259). 8 September 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  13. "New Zealand vs Australia 3rd test". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  14. "New Zealand v Australia 4th Test". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  15. "Australia V New Zealand/Visitors Win Very Easily/Some Brilliant Back Play". The New Zealand Herald. LVI (17265). 15 September 1919. p. 9. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  16. "Auckland v Australia". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  17. "Another Aussie Win/Australia 32, Auckland 8/A Game of Incidents". Auckland Star. L (225). 22 September 1919. p. 8. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  18. "New Zealand V Auckland/Local Team Defeated". The New Zealand Herald. 23 May 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  19. "New Zealand Outclassed/NSW's Runaway Win". Auckland Star. LII (133). 6 June 1921. p. 8. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  20. "New Zealand Tour Appearance Summary". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  21. "New Zealand V Queensland/Easy Win for Dominion Team". The New Zealand Herald. LVIII (17801). 7 June 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  22. "New Zealanders at Brisbane/Defeated by Queensland/Twenty-One to Sixteen". The New Zealand Herald. LVIII (17806). 13 June 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  23. "Queensland Beats New Zealand/Eight Points to Three". Auckland Star. LII (145). 20 June 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  24. "A Win for New Zealand/Newcastle Team Defeated". The New Zealand Herald. LVIII (17824). 4 July 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  25. "New Zealand V Auckland/Local Team Defeated". The New Zealand Herald. 23 May 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  26. "Representative Match/Auckland Beats Hawke's Bay/Fast Game On Wet Ground". The New Zealand Herald. LXIII (17854). 8 August 1921. p. 3. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  27. "King Country V Auckland/The Visitors Outclassed". The New Zealand Herald. LVIII (17866). 22 August 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  28. "Devonport Defeat Marist". The New Zealand Herald. LXI (18814). 15 September 1924. p. 4. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  29. "Tragedy Feared/Two Men Missing/Small Boat Capsizes/Survivor's Awful Ordeal/Lands Naked on Rangitoto". Auckland Star. LVIII (276). 22 November 1927. p. 8. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  30. "Boat Capsizes Two Men Missing". LXI (17041). Thames Star. 22 November 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  31. "Rangitoto Tragedy/Holding of Inquiry/Men Declared to be Drowned". Auckland Star. LIX (34). 10 February 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  32. "Boat Tragedy/Survivor's Graphic Story/An Epic of the Sea/Concern for Companions/Privations on Rangitoto". Auckland Star. LVIII (277). 23 November 1921. p. 8. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
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