Bill Cunningham was one of the last two players chosen for the 1905-06 Originals tour of Britain, he and the Taranaki wing Bunny Abbott only being added to the side after the preliminary matches in Australia and New Zealand were all but completed.

Cunningham, who had played for Auckland against the tourists prior to their departure for Australia, was added when it became clear a scrummaging forward of his type had been sorely missed in the Australian games.

But while he was among the last to be chosen for the touring part, Cunningham proved himself to be not the least of those trailblazing All Blacks. Joining the side for the last of the warmup matches before boarding ship, against Wellington, Cunningham played in 23 of the matches in Britain and France, including three of the internationals against Scotland, Ireland and France.

Because of injuries he missed the international against England and that against Wales, where his absence may have been a factor in the 3-0 loss. His missing this match has never been properly explained but it can be presumed it was because he was not fully fit. In his tour book, manager George Dixon, said the team suffered by the absence of Cunningham and of the backs, Billy Stead and George Smith. While the reasons for their unavailability were not detailed Dixon added New Zealand did field the best available team.

Though used as a breakaway in the pack against France with Fred Newton at lock, Cunningham was at his best in the latter position.

At about 1.80m and around 93kg, Cunningham was not a big man by modern rugby standards. But 100 years ago he was a powerhouse with a physique seen as ideal for anchoring the 2-3-2 scrum.

Though most of his major rugby was for Auckland, where he was a member of firstly the City and then the Ponsonby clubs, Cunningham was very much a product of the rural areas of the old Auckland province and he first became a representative from Waihi in the old Goldfields subunion.

Most of his early working life was spent as an axeman and his years in the bush helped him develop his barrel chest and strong arms and hands.

His natural fitness enabled him to have a long career and he continued playing until he was nearly 40.

After playing first for the national side in 1901, against Wellington and New South South Wales, he was overlooked until his recall at the age of 31 for the Originals' tour.

Despite his age he retained his All Black place for the 1907 tour of Australia and then for the three test series against the Anglo Welsh in 1908, playing for New Zealand for the last time at the age of 34.

But he continued at top level for some years after that and in 1910, on another tour of Australia, and in 1912 he was in New Zealand Maori sides.

Cunningham represented Auckland between 1899 and 1913, his lengthy representative span giving him 45 matches for the union. These included many notable occasions such as the first Ranfurly Shield game against Wellington in 1904 and several defences during Auckland's 1905-13 era and also four games by the province against touring sides. Cunningham, indeed, had an enviable, unbeaten record for Auckland against international teams.

He was in the team which beat New South Wales in 1901, converting three tries with what was a useful boot, against Great Britain in 1904, scoring a try in the 13-0 win, against the Anglo Welsh in 1908 and finally as captain against Australia in 1913.

With his 45 games for Auckland, 39 including nine internationals for his country and matches for North Island (1902 and 1908) and for New Zealand Maori Cunningham finished with the rare feat for a player of his times of more than a century (103) of first class games.

Cunningham was noted for his cheerfulness and his determined optimism.

Once when he had given chase to a noted sprinter in a vain attempt to stop a try he was asked by his team-mates as the conversion was being taken why he had bothered when his task was so hopeless. "Because," replied Cunningham, "he might have dropped dead."

He served as an Auckland selector in 1920.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

William  Cunningham

BORN

Wednesday, 8 July 1874 in Rangiaohia

DIED

Saturday, 3 September 1927 in Auckland

PHYSICAL

1.80m, 92kg

POSITION

Lock

LAST SCHOOL

Unknown

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Waihi West

PROVINCE

Auckland

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Wednesday, 28 August 1901
v Wellington at Wellington
aged 27 years, 51 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 18 November 1905
v Scotland at Edinburgh
aged 31 years, 133 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 25 July 1908
v British & Irish Lions at Auckland
aged 34 years, 17 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

9 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

30 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

39 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

3pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

19pts (1t, 8c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

22pts (2t, 8c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

82

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

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1901

 28 Aug vs Wellington at Wellington 24-5  

 31 Aug vs N.S.W. at Wellington 20-3  

1905

 29 Jul vs Wellington Province at Wellington 0-3  

 16 Sep vs Devon at Exeter 55-4  

 21 Sep vs Cornwall at Camborne 41-0  

 23 Sep vs Bristol at Bristol 41-0  

 28 Sep vs Northampton at Northampton 32-0  

 30 Sep vs Leicester at Leicester 28-0  

 4 Oct vs Middlesex at London 34-0  

 7 Oct vs Durham at Durham 16-3  

 11 Oct vs Hartlepool Clubs at West Hartlepool 63-0  

 14 Oct vs Northumberland at North Shields 31-0  

 19 Oct vs Gloucester at Gloucester 44-0  

 25 Oct vs Devonport Albion at Devonport 21-3  

 28 Oct vs Midland Counties at Leicester 21-5  

 4 Nov vs Blackheath at London 32-0  

 9 Nov vs Cambridge University at Cambridge 14-0  

 18 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 12-7  

 25 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 15-0  

 28 Nov vs Munster at Limerick 33-0  

 9 Dec vs Cheshire at Birkenhead 34-0  

 13 Dec vs Yorkshire at Headingley 40-0  

 20 Dec vs Glamorgan County at Swansea 9-0  

 23 Dec vs Newport at Newport 6-3  

 30 Dec vs Swansea at Swansea 4-3  

1906

 1 Jan vs France at Paris 38-8  

 10 Feb vs British Columbia at Berkeley 43-6  

 13 Feb vs British Columbia at San Francisco 65-6  

1907

 6 Jul vs Wellington Province at Wellington 19-6  

 13 Jul vs N.S.W. at Sydney 11-3  

 17 Jul vs N.S.W. at Sydney 0-14  

 20 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 26-6  

 24 Jul vs Queensland at Brisbane 23-3  

 27 Jul vs Queensland at Brisbane 17-11  

 3 Aug vs Australia at Brisbane 14-5  

 10 Aug vs Australia at Sydney 5-5  

1908

 6 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Dunedin 32-5  

 27 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 3-3  

 25 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Auckland 29-0  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Northumberland, 14 Oct 1905

-

2

-

-

4

vs Devonport Albion, 25 Oct 1905

-

1

-

-

2

vs Midland Counties, 28 Oct 1905

-

3

-

-

6

vs Cambridge University, 9 Nov 1905

-

1

-

-

2

vs Scotland, 18 Nov 1905

1

-

-

-

3

vs Cheshire, 9 Dec 1905

-

1

-

-

2

vs British Columbia, 10 Feb 1906

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

2

8

0

0

22

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Australia

3

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

British & Irish Lions

3

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

France

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Ireland

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Scotland

1

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

9

7

2

0

1

0

0

0

3