Joseph Lavery

Joseph Aloysius Lavery[1] was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Joe Lavery

Personal information
Full name	Joseph Aloysius Lavery
Playing information
Height	170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	76 kg (12 st 0 lb)
Rugby union
Position	Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1902–1904 Canterbury
Rugby league
Position	Fullback, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1908 Leeds 10 4 0 0 12 1909 Leigh 1910 Salford 4 0 0 0 0 1913 Linwood Total 14 4 0 0 12 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1907–08 New Zealand 1 1915 Canterbury

Early years

Lavery worked on for the New Zealand Railways Department.[2]

Rugby football

Lavery started his career playing for Temuka in 1901 before moving to Christchurch Albion where he was a club mate of Hubert Turtill and Charlie Pearce. Lavery represented Canterbury between 1902 and 1904 and played for the South Island in 1903.[2]

Rugby league

Lavery joined the professional All Blacks tour of Great Britain and Australia in 1907-1908, thus switching codes to rugby league as all members of the touring party received a life ban from the New Zealand Rugby Union. However, he was not in the touring parties[3] first selection and played mostly in mid-week games, scoring two tries. Despite this Lavery played in one test match for New Zealand.

After the tour Lavery opted to stay in Britain and signed with Leeds (Heritage № 215), becoming the club's first ever overseas player.[4][2] Lavery also played for Leigh, and then Salford in 1910, and was also the first ever overseas player to play for either club.[5][6]

By 1913 he had returned to New Zealand and played for Linwood in the first season of the Canterbury Rugby League competition.[7] He represented Canterbury in 1915.[7]

Later years

Lavery fought in World War I, and in May 1918 the Linwood club minutes recorded a "vote of sympathy" for Lavery, "who had returned wounded".[7]

References

1. LAVERY, Joseph Aloysius 1907 - 08 - Kiwi #11 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
2. John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1
3. "The All Golds". Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
4. Champions reveal new look away kit Archived 24 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine therhinos.co.uk, 21 January 2013
5. The Story So Far - 110 Years At The Willows Archived 6 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine reds.co.uk
6. Club History Archived 5 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine leighcenturions.com
7. Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987