Harold Francis Rowe was a New Zealand

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er who was part of the professional

1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain The 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain was made by a group of New Zealand rugby footballers who played matches in Australia, Ceylon, England and Wales between 1907 and 1908. Most of the matches were played under the ...

Early life

He was born on July 10, 1883. His parents were Martha Bell and Francis Rowe. In 1914 he married Hilda Laura Norton. Rowe was a qualified accountant. They had at least two children (Harold Norton Rowe, 1914 and Gladys Ruth Rowe, 1917).

Playing career

Rugby union career

Rowe played

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 ...

for the Newton club in Auckland, usually , but also as a or .John Haynes ''From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers'', Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996.

Rugby league career

He was selected for the professional All Blacks tour of 1907–1908, in part because of his utility value. Rowe became an invaluable part of the touring team and between 1907 and 1909 he was to play in nine

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 ...

test matches. In 1908 he played in the first ever trans-Tasman test which was the début match of the

Australia national rugby league team The Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League Com ...

. He scored two tries in the second test match against Australia, a game which

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won 11–10 to clinch the series. Rowe finished the tour with ten tries overall, including touring games. In 1909 he again toured Australia with the New Zealand side. Like many of the touring party he later returned to England, signing with

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in September 1909.Coffey and Wood ''The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League''

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Harold Rowe did not play ( Jimmy Fawcett played on the ) in

' 7–7 draw with Hull F.C. in the 1910 Challenge Cup Final during the 1909–10 season at

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, on Saturday 16 April 1910, in front of a crowd of 19,413, this was the first

Challenge Cup The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...

Final to be drawn, but played on the and scored a try in the 26–12 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1909–10 Challenge Cup Final replay during the 1909–10 season at

on Monday 18 April 1910, in front of a crowd of 11,608, this was

' first

Final win in their first appearance.

Coaching

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Rowe coached the

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team to play

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. They went away for a weeks training prior to meeting the Australian side however it made little difference as they were well beaten.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowe, Harold 1883 births 1958 deaths 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen Auckland rugby league team players Auckland rugby union players Leeds Rhinos players New Zealand accountants New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand rugby union players Rugby league centres Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league players from Auckland Rugby league wingers Rugby union centres Rugby union fullbacks Rugby union players from Auckland