Daniel Fraser (rugby)
Daniel George Fraser[1] was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.
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Full name | Daniel George Fraser | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby Football
Fraser played rugby union for the Petone Rugby Club.[2]
Boer War
During the Boer War, Fraser played for the New Zealand Army Corps team, which was the first New Zealand rugby side to play in South Africa.
Rugby League
In 1907 Fraser joined the professional All Blacks while they were in New South Wales on the first leg of their 1907–1908 tour of Australia and Great Britain. Fraser was one of six players on the tour from the Petone Rugby Club.[3] Fraser's main role was a non-playing one, acting as assistant manager and helping Albert Baskiville with his day-to-day duties. However Fraser did play in two test matches for New Zealand between 1907 and 1909.
On his return to New Zealand Fraser tried to help fill some of the gap left by the death of Baskiville, helping the game establish itself and he organised the first provincial game of rugby league in New Zealand, between Auckland and Wellington at Victoria Park on 24 August 1908. Fraser also managed the New Zealand team on their first tour of Australia in 1909.
Like five other members of the touring party Fraser is buried at Karori Cemetery.[4]
References
- FRASER, Daniel George 1907 – 09 – Kiwi #6 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
- John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1
- Petone Rugby played big part in 'All Golds' Archived 21 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine Petone Rugby Club, Accessed 14 August 2009
- Relatives and Teams to remember Original All Golds Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine NZRL Press Release, 10 October 2007