Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright (16 January 1881 – 4 April 1963) was a New Zealand

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league. Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...

er who was part of the professional (rugby league)

1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * ''19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * ''Dician ...

Background

Born in Arahura, which is north of

Hokitika Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of ...

in the West Coast region of New Zealand, Wright was a printer by trade.John Haynes ''From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers'', Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996.

Rugby union career

Wright began his

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 ...

career playing for North Wairarapa in 1899. He then moved to Petone where he joined the Petone Rugby Club. During the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, Wright played for the New Zealand Army Corps team, which was the first New Zealand rugby side to play in South Africa. On his return Wright played for

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 ...

and played

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge ...

rugby. He eventually became the captain of both Wellington and Petone. He was also selected for 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 ...

but withdrew due to injury and never represented New Zealand in rugby union. Wright was a noted disciplinarian and was known to check on his Petone teammates the night before games.

Rugby league career

When news of the advent of

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 ...

football made its way from England to the Southern Hemisphere, Wright joined the professional All Blacks for the 1907–1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia. He was one of six players from the Petone Rugby Club selected. Wright had been one of the tour's selectors and was elected captain for the tour, a sign of the democratic nature of the touring party. As a result, he also served on the tour's Management committee. He played in the first ever trans-Tasman test which was the debut 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 ...

. Altogether Wright played in four test matches while on the tour. After returning to New Zealand Wright played rugby league in Wellington, representing the

Wellington Rugby League Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Wellington Region, Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative ...

in matches against

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 ...

in 1908 and

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

in 1909.

Political career

Wright was on the Petone Borough Council, and on the Brooklyn school committee. His brother was Minister of Education and Mayor of Wellington, Robert Wright. Wright died in Wellington on . Along with five other members of the touring party, he was buried at Karori Cemetery.Relatives and Teams to remember Original All Golds
''NZRL Press Release'', 10 October 2007

Legacy

Wright was named at in the Petone Panthers' Team of the Century in 2012.

Notes

References

*Obituary in ''Evening Post'' of 4 April 1963, page 19.
''Military Personnel File online''
digitised record at Archives New Zealand. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Hercules 1881 births 1963 deaths 19th-century New Zealand sportsmen 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen Burials at Karori Cemetery New Zealand military personnel of the Second Boer War New Zealand military personnel New Zealand national rugby league team captains New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand sportsperson-politicians Petone Borough Councillors Petone Panthers players Rugby league hookers Rugby league players from the West Coast Region Rugby league props Rugby union players from the West Coast Region Wellington rugby league team players Wellington rugby union players