A tiny little fellow whilst attending Whakatane High School, R J Conway was hooker for the School 2nd XV. In practise matches against the 1st XV, which included the massive Albert Pryor, only a year away from being a Maori All Black, Dick Conway played so gamely and well that team mates wondered if he would ever grow enough to realise his obvious potential.

Grow he did, only to 5'9" (1.75m) and 13 stone 7lbs (86 kg) but enough for him to become a respected All Black loosie.

Bay of Plenty born and bred, Dick "Red" Conway started his representative rugby career in 1957 for Otago, where he spent several winters, though returning to his Bay of Plenty home each summer.

A bright redhead, Conway made his All Black debut against the 1959 Lions, toured South Africa the following year, and finished his international career with four tests against the 1965 Springboks. In all he played 25 matches, including 10 tests, for his country.

An energetic bustling loosie and a dynamic tackier, Dick Conway returned to the Bay of Plenty in 1962 and captained that side until 1968. He coached at club level in Whakatane during the 1970s.

The 1960 All Blacks had injury problems at hooker, with Roger Boon eventually having to be flown out as a replacement. But though Conway had been a competent little schoolboy hooker there was never a suggestion that he might fill in in the role. No doubt neither the first or last ex hooker to keep quiet about their past.

A softball catcher (he represented Rotorua at that sport in 1956) Dick Conway broke his finger during a game. The finger set very badly and was obviously going to suffer further damage at work, Dick Conway was a carpenter, or play, either softball or rugby. So, to avoid a problem whilst with the All Blacks in South Africa Conway had the finger amputated.

Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Richard James Conway

BORN

Monday, 22 April 1935 in Whakatane

AGE

75

PHYSICAL

1.75m, 86kg

POSITION

Flanker

LAST SCHOOL

Whakatane High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Zingarei-Richmond

PROVINCES

Otago, Bay of Plenty

RUGBY NICKNAME

Red

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 15 August 1959
v British & Irish Lions at Wellington
aged 24 years, 115 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 15 August 1959
v British & Irish Lions at Wellington
aged 24 years, 115 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 18 September 1965
v South Africa at Auckland
aged 30 years, 149 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

10 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

15 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

25 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

3pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

9pts (3t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

12pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

601

The All Black Games that Conway played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1959

 15 Aug vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 11-8  

 29 Aug vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 22-8  

 19 Sep vs British & Irish Lions at Auckland 6-9  

1960

 14 May vs N.S.W. at Sydney 27-0  

 17 May vs Victoria-South Australia at Orange 30-6  

 31 May vs Natal at Durban 6-6  

 8 Jun vs South-West Africa at Windhoek 27-3  

 11 Jun vs Boland at Wellington 16-0  

 18 Jun vs Northern Transvaal at Pretoria 27-3  

 25 Jun vs South Africa at Johannesburg 0-13  

 6 Jul vs Orange Free State at Bloemfontein 8-9  

 13 Jul vs Eastern Province at Port Elizabeth 16-3  

 19 Jul vs South-Western Districts at Oudtshoorn 18-6  

 27 Jul vs Central Universities at East London 21-12  

 3 Aug vs South African Combined Services at Pretoria 3-8  

 6 Aug vs Transvaal at Johannesburg 19-3  

 9 Aug vs Western Transvaal at Potchefstroom 28-3  

 13 Aug vs South Africa at Bloemfontein 11-11  

 20 Aug vs Border at East London 30-3  

 27 Aug vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth 3-8  

 1 Oct vs Rest of New Zealand at Wellington  20-8  

1965

 31 Jul vs South Africa at Wellington 6-3  

 21 Aug vs South Africa at Dunedin 13-0  

 4 Sep vs South Africa at Christchurch 16-19  

 18 Sep vs South Africa at Auckland 20-3  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Victoria-South Australia, 17 May 1960

1

-

-

-

3

vs Eastern Province, 13 Jul 1960

1

-

-

-

3

vs Transvaal, 6 Aug 1960

1

-

-

-

3

vs South Africa, 18 Sep 1965

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

4

0

0

0

12

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

British & Irish Lions

3

2

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

South Africa

7

3

1

3

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

10

5

1

4

1

0

0

0

3