Ron Elvidge was one of the leading New Zealand midfield backs in the years immediately after World War II. At around 5ft 11in (1.80m) and 13st (82kg) he was above average in physique for those years and was a strong, rugged runner equally adept at playing either second five eighths or centre.

He made his All Black debut in the two tests against Australia in 1946 at second five scoring the All Blacks' only try in the 14-10 second test win at Eden Park. He reappeared in the side for the 1949 tour of South Africa, having been unavailable to tour Australia in 1947 and missing out in 1948 because that year there were no All Black games.

In South Africa he was one of the All Blacks' most reliable performers, playing at centre in the first two tests and at second five for the final two when he also took over the captaincy from Fred Allen.

He played in 14 matches in all on tour, scoring two tries. Elvidge always insisted that it had been with reluctance that he had replaced Allen for the third and fourth tests as captain. "In no way did I or any others in the team not think Fred was a great captain and superb ambassador for New Zealand," Elvidge said in a later interview. "I for one would have been happy for him to have continued playing, but he was nursing a few injuries and being Fred had probably played on when he might have been trying to give himself time to recover."

On tour Elvidge's medical abilities were unexpectedly called upon. Returning from their matches in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) the team's train was involved in a collision with a mail train travelling in the opposite direction. None of the All Blacks were seriously injured, though all were shaken, but Ron Elvidge and another doctor among the passengers worked all night among the casualties. Despite their efforts a coal-trimmer, trapped in the engine cab, died before he could be cut free.

Elvidge became captain in his own right the following year when New Zealand hosted the touring British Lions. His heroic role in the third test at Athletic Park has become part of All Black test legend for he was forced from the field with a collarbone injury and a facial gash which required four stitches.

Though in great pain he returned to the field because a serious knee injury to prop Johnny Simpson had already reduced the All Blacks to 14 men. Elvidge took up a position as an extra fullback and from there crashed over for the only try in a match won narrowly by the All Blacks 6-3 to take an unassailable lead in the series.

Elvidge could not play in the fourth test because of his injury and never played again, retiring to concentrate on a successful medical career in which he became one of New Zealand's foremost gynaecologists.

Elvidge played 19 matches for the All Blacks including nine tests. His overall career considering his considerable talent and standing was surprisingly sparse. Between 1942 and 1950 he managed just 30 representative games for Otago. He also played five times for the South Island between 1945 and 1948, in All Black trials in each of the 1948 and 1950 seasons and for New Zealand Universities in each of the 1945 and 1946 seasons. But his overall first class tally was barely 60 matches as he tried to balance his medical studies with a rugby career.

Despite the comparative paucity of his games for Otago in particular he was a significant contributor in provincial rugby.

He was captain of the Otago side under the coaching of Vic Cavanagh junior in two of the greatest seasons of its 1947-50 Ranfurly Shield era. He was captain when Otago lifted the shield from Southland in 1947 and for the following two seasons. He played 11 shield matches, scoring seven tries and was a backline mainstay in an outstanding 1948 season.

Elvidge also captained Otago to a 23-9 win over the 1950 Lions.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Ronald Rutherford Elvidge

BORN

Friday, 2 March 1923 in Timaru

AGE

87

PHYSICAL

1.80m, 83kg

POSITION

Second five-eighth and centre three-quarter

LAST SCHOOL

John McGlashan College

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Otago University

PROVINCE

Otago

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 14 September 1946
v Australia at Dunedin
aged 23 years, 196 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 14 September 1946
v Australia at Dunedin
aged 23 years, 196 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 1 July 1950
v British & Irish Lions at Wellington
aged 27 years, 121 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

9 (5 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

10 (2 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

19 (7 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

12pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

3pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

15pts (5t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

454

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

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1946

 14 Sep vs Australia at Dunedin 31-8  

 28 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 14-10  

1949

 31 May vs Western Province Universities at Cape Town 11-9  

 18 Jun vs Natal at Durban 8-0  

 22 Jun vs Western Transvaal at Potchefstroom 19-3  

 25 Jun vs A Transvaal XV at Johannesburg 6-3  

 2 Jul vs Eastern Transvaal at Springs 5-6  

 9 Jul vs Western Province at Cape Town 6-3  

 16 Jul vs South Africa at Cape Town 11-15  

 23 Jul vs Transvaal at Johannesburg 13-3  

 30 Jul vs Rhodesia at Salisbury 3-3  

 13 Aug vs South Africa at Johannesburg 6-12  

 17 Aug vs Northern Universities at Pretoria 17-3  (Captain)

 27 Aug vs Orange Free State at Bloemfontein 14-9  (Captain)

 3 Sep vs South Africa at Durban 3-9  (Captain)

 17 Sep vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth 8-11  (Captain)

1950

 27 May vs British & Irish Lions at Dunedin 9-9  (Captain)

 10 Jun vs British & Irish Lions at Christchurch 8-0  (Captain)

 1 Jul vs British & Irish Lions at Wellington 6-3  (Captain)

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Australia, 28 Sep 1946

1

-

-

-

3

vs Western Province, 9 Jul 1949

1

-

-

-

3

vs South Africa, 17 Sep 1949

1

-

-

-

3

vs British & Irish Lions, 27 May 1950

1

-

-

-

3

vs British & Irish Lions, 1 Jul 1950

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

5

0

0

0

15

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Australia

2

2

-

-

1

-

-

-

3

British & Irish Lions

3

2

1

-

2

-

-

-

6

South Africa

4

-

-

4

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

9

4

1

4

4

0

0

0

12