Robert William Henry Scott (6 February 1921 – 16 November 2012) was a New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who represented the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

between 1946 and 1954.

Early years

Born in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, New Zealand, and one of six children, Scott had a difficult childhood. His father had served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

where he was chronically wounded.Scott (1956), p. 7. Although his father was employed money was scarce and Scott frequently went hungry.Scott (1956), p. 8. His father was employed by the Public Works Department, and the family moved to

Kapuni Kapuni is an onshore natural gas-condensate field located in the Taranaki Basin, a ~100,000 km2 partially-inverted rift basin on the Taranaki Peninsula in the North Island, New Zealand. Discovered in 1959 and brought into production in 1970 ...

, then Tangarakau and later

Ōhura Ōhura is a small town in the west of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the west of Taumarunui in the area known as the King Country, in inland Manawatū-Whanganui. It lies on the banks of the Mangaroa Stream, a tributary of the ...

. When Scott was nine in 1930 his parents split up and he moved into a

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

children's home, Cecilia Whatman Home in Masterton. Although after two years the parents reconciled, it was short-lived, and they separated permanently within a year. Scott stayed with his father while his five siblings were sent again to a children's home. Scott worked part-time and went to school until his father died of cancer in 1934. After his father's death he moved back with his mother, who had established a home with his siblings.Scott (1956), p. 10.

Rugby league career

Scott started his footballing career playing

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

for the Ponsonby club in the

Auckland Rugby League The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Founded in 1909, the ARL has played a pivotal role in the development and promotion of rugby league in Auckland and beyond. ...

competition.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood (2009) ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009''. , p.126. Scott switched codes during the Second World War.

Army

After working in a warehouse from the age of 13 he enlisted in the

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

when the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

started. He was posted to the Motor Transport Pool in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

.Scott (1956), p. 11. They had a team which entered Auckland's senior

competition, and in 1942 won the

Gallaher Shield The Gallaher Shield is awarded to the winner of the Auckland Rugby Union senior premier competition, and was first awarded in 1922. The shield is named in honour of Dave Gallaher, an early stalwart of Ponsonby, Auckland and New Zealand ...

with a team dominated by rugby league players after the Auckland Rugby League had refused to allow the side to enter the Auckland Rugby League competition due to so many of the players being registered with rugby league clubs already.Scott (1956), p. 13. In 1942 he was posted to Egypt with the Army Service Corps in the

New Zealand Division The New Zealand Division was an infantry division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force raised for service in the First World War. It was formed in Egypt in early 1916 when the New Zealand and Australian Division was renamed after the detachmen ...

as a truck driver.Scott (1956), p. 21. He served in North Africa and Italy, and described driving trucks of ammunition to the front lines as the most lonely experience of his life.Scott (1956), p. 22. Company rugby teams within the New Zealand Division competed in a tournament called the Freyberg Cup – named after Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg who commanded the division. Scott was in the Ammunition Company team that made the Freyberg Cup final in 1944. Although they lost the final to the 22nd Division, Scott, who played at

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

was selected to trial for the Army's ''Kiwis'' team. During World War II, he served in Italy and was one of the players in the New Zealand Army rugby team along with

Bob Stuart Robert Charles Stuart (28 October 1920 – 11 May 2005) was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. He was given a lifetime service award by the International Rugby Board immediately after the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Biography Born i ...

as fullback.

All Blacks

As an

All Black The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

he made his debut in 1946 against Australia. He toured South Africa in 1949 where he played in all four test matches. He also played against the 1950

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...

. He did not play in the 1951 tour of Australia and announced his retirement from first-class rugby that year. He was bribed to play one game for the Auckland union in 1952. He then played for the Petone club in Wellington during 1954. In a publication he was described as: "for me (author) there will never be anyone as great as Scott. The man amazed me even in his final moments. His positional play was of course something out of the box. He was a genius and what other fullbacks had to do, Scott didn't, because he had the greatest balance, the greatest poise, that I've ever seen in any man." In his autobiography,

Hennie Muller Hendrik Scholtz Vosloo Muller (26 March 1922 – 26 April 1977) was a South African rugby union footballer. Born in Witbank, Muller is considered one of the greatest South African rugby players, captaining South Africa in nine tests, and is a me ...

stated: "Scott always appeared to have plenty of time, even under pressure. He loved coming into the line and his speed and elusiveness were such that he was always a danger. Altogether, the greatest player I've ever played in any position." Scott was part of the Petone club committee between 1966 and 1970.

Later years

In 1990 Scott was inducted into the

New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the hall ...

, and in the

1995 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1995 were appointments by most of the sixteen Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries, and honorary ones to citizens of other c ...

he was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to rugby and the community. Following the death of

Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist topically-pointed radio program '' The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and forw ...

in April 2012, Scott was the oldest living All Black. He died on 16 November 2012 at his home in

Whangamatā The town of Whangamatā is on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres north of Waihi, to the north of the western extremity of the Bay of Plenty. In holiday times the popu ...

, New Zealand, where he lived during his later years.

References

Bibliography

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Bob 1921 births 2012 deaths 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen New Zealand Army personnel New Zealand international rugby union players New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand rugby union players Ponsonby Ponies players Ponsonby RFC players Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Wellington City Rugby union fullbacks Rugby union players from Wellington City