George Nepia
George Nepia ( born April 25 1905 in Wairoa, † June 27, 1986 in Ruatoria ) was a New Zealand rugby union player. From 1924 to 1930 he came ( All Blacks ) are used, of which nine caps with 46 games of the national team. He was employed in the position of goalkeeper and is still regarded as one of the best players māorischer descent. During several years he also worked as a rugby league player.
Career
His birth certificate gives 1905 as the birth year, but Nepia later claimed that he was not born until 1908. He married in 1926 and lived with his wife and four children on a farm near Gisborne, where he operated dairy industry.
From 1922 Nepia played for the national team of the Provincial Association of Hawke 's Bay Rugby Union. Hawke 's Bay was considered the best team in the country and defended 24 times in a row, the Ranfurly Shield. 1924 Nepia was included in the squad of the national team, the one more month tour took in this year to the UK. Nepia was one of the stars of this tour: the only player he came in all 32 games for use, but he scored 77 points. Since this team did not lose a single game, it has since been referred to as The Invincibles ("The Invincibles ").
For the tour of the All Blacks to South Africa in 1928 Nepia was not considered, probably due to racial prejudice on the part of South Africans. Due to a back injury he had to tour to Australia in 1929, the break after just one game. His last international match for the All Blacks, he played in August 1930 against the British Lions. By 1935, he occasionally played for the team New Zealand Māori.
The world economic crisis plunged Nepia in financial distress. In 1935, he decided to go to England and to play in London at Streatham and Mitcham RLFC for £ 500 Rugby League. His family remained in New Zealand. Since rugby union was a strictly amateur sport at the time, Nepia was excluded from the association. In 1937 he returned to New Zealand and played for the Rugby League team.
1947 granted the New Zealand Rugby Football Union an amnesty for former Rugby League player. 1950 graduated from Nepia his last game at club level. In the 1950s he came as a referee for use, after which he devoted himself exclusively to his profession as a dairy farmer.
In 1997 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
Statistics
- Matches with the All Blacks: 9
- Other games with the All Blacks: 37
- First international: July 5, 1924
- Last international game: August 9, 1930