Morrie Wood

Morris Edwin "Morrie" Wood (9 October 1876 – 9 August 1956) was a New Zealand rugby union player and athletics champion. As second five-eighth, Wood represented the provinces of Bush, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, and Auckland. In athletics, he was New Zealand long-jump champion.

Morrie Wood
Birth nameMorris Edwin Wood
Date of birth(1876-10-09)9 October 1876
Place of birthWaipawa, New Zealand
Date of death9 August 1956(1956-08-09) (aged 79)
Place of deathParaparaumu Beach, New Zealand
Weight79 kg (174 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Second five-eighth
All Black No. 91
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1894–97
1898–99
1900–01
1902–03
1904		 Bush
Hawke's Bay
Wellington
Canterbury
Auckland



1		 ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1901–04 New Zealand 2 (0)

Wood was a member of the New Zealand national team from 1901 to 1904. His 12 matches included New Zealand's first international test, against Australia.[1] In his final match, he captained the Auckland province to a 13–0 defeat of the touring British and Irish Lions.[2]

Morrie Wood and other All Blacks 'at leisure'

Wood's 1903 long jump of 21 ft 8 1⁄2 in (6.62 m) would have been the New Zealand record,[3] but was eventually assessed as being wind-assisted and so was not ratified.[4] He went on to win the long jump at the 1904 New Zealand athletics championships, his leap of 19 ft 7 1⁄2 in (5.98 m) taking the title from Te Rangi Hīroa.[5][6]

Personal life

Morrie Wood was born in Napier, one of four children born to English migrant parents. He had four children with his wife Clara Ritchey. After her death, he married Kate Donne in 1947. They retired to Paraparaumu where he died in 1956, at the age of 79.[7]

References
  1. Ponsonby District RFC. "Match Centre: Morrie Wood". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  2. "THE AUCKLAND-BRITAIN MATCH. A PLAYER'S VIEWS". Star (8095). 22 August 1904. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  3. "Athletics: Canterbury's Team for Saturday". New Zealand Times. LXXVI (5166). 6 January 1904. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  4. "Amateur" (16 June 1904). "Athletics". Otago Daily Times (13001). Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  5. Hollings, Stephen (January 2015). "National champions 1887–2014" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. p. 37. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  6. "The Athletic Championship". Evening Star (12090). 11 January 1904. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  7. "Morris Edwin (Morrie) Wood". Geni. Retrieved 9 November 2019.


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