William John Phillips was King Country's first All Black, appearing for New Zealand in two different years, and representing both at home and overseas. Of part-Maori descent, his qualification took him into New Zealand Maori sides and other Maori combinations as well during his career. He was born at Raglan, on January 30 1914 and educated at Te Mata Primary School; his King Country Club was Mako Mako Club one of the then Kawhia Sub-Union Clubs.

"Bill" Phillips entered representative Rugby when he played for the Union against Waikato at Hamilton, on June 30, 1934; in August he appeared against Wellington "B" at Taumarunui - his first home game. He was then a member of the Tai Tauauru side against Tai Rawhiti, in the Prince of Wales Cup match, at Rotorua, from which contest he was chosen to the New Zealand Maori team on its tour of four fixtures; Phillips played against Otago, at Dunedin, on the tour. In 1935, William Phillips took part in the trial match at Hamilton, playing for Northern Maori XV against Southern Maori XV for possible selection to the New Zealand side to later go to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada, but although unsuccessful in selection he was (along with L Kawe) chosen to tour with the New Zealand Maori team to Australia. The side was captained by the illustrious George Nepia, "Bill" Phillips' contribution to its record being six tries in his ten appearances out of the eleven matches on the itinerary; he played at second-five-eighth in the side's first match, and on the wing in his other nine.

On the team's return to New Zealand he was on the wing also in the games with Wellington and with Auckland; his other match of the season was for King Country against Hawke's Bay XV, at Ohakune, late in September. The following year after playing in all of King Country's five engagements he again won New Zealand Maori honours, in this occasion against Australia, at Palmerston North, when he replaced the injured H. Mason (of North Otago), at second five-eighth during the match.

The next two seasons were notable ones for King Country in general, and for William Phillips in particular. He commenced the 1937 period with a match for King Country, and then played the first of his three matches for North Island. Followed were two New Zealand trials held to select the All Blacks against the South African team, soon to arrive in this country. "Bill" Phillips' first trial was for N. A. Mitchell's XV versus G. D. M. Gilbert's XV, the other for The Rest of New Zealand (as a replacement) against a New Zealand XV, both at Wellington. Next, was William Phillips' first meeting with the Springboks, he being one of the nine King Country representatives in the King Country-Waikato-Thames Valley combination, at Hamilton, where South Africa seemingly fortuitously won in the closing stages of the match; both sides scored a try, the visitors with a penalty goal prevailing. Two more King Country matches were preludes for William Phillips' selection for the Christchurch Test against the Springboks, he, as the left wing-threequarter, completely suppressing the activities of D. 0. Williams, the Springbok threequarter danger-man. And it is one of the vagaries of selection that "Bill" Phillips was relegated to the reserves for the 3rd Test. The year finished with two more King Country representations.

Came 1938 and once again with it the All Black jersey. In June, Phillips played in his second North Island side, and earned selection with the New Zealand team to Australia, in the Commonwealth appearing six times, including the 1st and 2nd test matches. On his return to New Zealand he played his final two games for King Country.

In 1939, he had moved to Waikato, where he intermittently represented that Union until 1946, in 1939, 1941 and 1946 from Raglan Club, and 1943 from Hamilton High School Old Boys Club, for a total of eleven matches. In 1939 he appeared for North Island for the third time, and was in the New Zealand Maori XV against the touring Fijian team, at Hamilton.

Big and fast, Bill Phillips stood 6 feet (1.83m) and weighed around 13st. 7lb (86kg). He farmed in the Raglan district.

Profile courtesy King Country RFU.

FULL NAME

William John Phillips

BORN

Friday, 30 January 1914 in Raglan

DIED

Wednesday, 10 November 1982 in Raglan

PHYSICAL

1.83m, 86kg

POSITION

Wing three-quarter

LAST SCHOOL

Te Mata Primary School

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Makomako

PROVINCE

King Country

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 4 September 1937
v South Africa at Christchurch
aged 23 years, 217 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 4 September 1937
v South Africa at Christchurch
aged 23 years, 217 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 6 August 1938
v Australia at Brisbane
aged 24 years, 188 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

3 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

4 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

7 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

3pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

3pts (1t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

6pts (2t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

437

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

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1937

 4 Sep vs South Africa at Christchurch 6-13  

1938

 16 Jul vs N.S.W. at Sydney 28-8  

 20 Jul vs Combined Western Districts at Wellington 31-0  

 23 Jul vs Australia at Sydney 24-9  

 27 Jul vs Newcastle at Newcastle 39-16  

 3 Aug vs Darling Downs at Toowoomba 36-6  

 6 Aug vs Australia at Brisbane 20-14  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Darling Downs, 3 Aug 1938

1

-

-

-

3

vs Australia, 6 Aug 1938

1

-

-

-

3

Totals

2

0

0

0

6

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Australia

2

2

-

-

1

-

-

-

3

South Africa

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Totals

3

2

0

1

1

0

0

0

3