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The toughness of prefessional playing programmes in modern times probably mean this photo could never take place again!
Eric Tindill All Black! Meet Eric Tindill cricket star!
12 January 2015
I've always loved this great picture of Eric Tindill of Wellington, the 'Double All Black.' Such men were called that in New Zealand sporting circles. They were a rare group of men who played for New Zealand at both test rugby and cricket. There have only been a very few of them. This picture from 'Crown Studios' in Wellington was a great attempt to capture his double sporting talent. But Eric's record in International sport went even further than playing it.
Usually a halfback but turned into a five-eighths, Eric ‘Snowy’ Tindill played his only rugby test on the All Blacks’ tour of Britain on the 1935-36 tour – the match that is chiefly remembered for English winger 'Prince' Alexander Obolensky’s two tries. (and for the fact that England won!)
Of even greater uniqueness in the sporting career of Tindill, was that he was a ‘double All Black’ which means he played for New Zealand at both cricket and rugby. Of the seven men to achieve this feat, only Tindill played internationals (tests) in both sports.
The Tindill record went further. In 1950 he refereed test rugby (between New Zealand and the British Isles) and eight years later he umpired test cricket. Even further, he was also a New Zealand cricket selector.
Tindill also had the distinction of catching the great Australian batsman Sir Don Bradman off the bowling off Jack Cowie in Adelaide in 1937-38. It was the only time Bradman played against a New Zealand side.
An outstanding sporting allrounder, Tindill also played football and table tennis for Wellington.
Somebody should have made him an All Black rugby selector, just to round his career off nicely!
I was very proud to speak at Eric's funeral in Wellington when he died aged 99 in 2010.
In these days with computer keyboards and paintbox programmes such a picture would be much easier to make today than this one which was made in the years after WWII.
Footnote; The other 'double All Blacks' in New Zealand rugby and cricket are; Bill Carson 1937-38, George Dickinson 1922-32, Charlie Oliver 1925-35, 'Curly' Page 1927-38, Brian McKechnie (1975-81) and Jeff Wilson (1992-2002). To repeat; Eric Tindill was the only one to play tests in both sports.
ends...
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Every day there is Rugby History 24 October 2003
Click to show The day one man played his only six minutes as an All Black.
Auckland fullback Ben Atiga replaced Mils Muliaina near the end of the Rugby World Cup match v Tonga in Brisbane; sadly Atiga's only All Black appearance.
A-Z of Rugby
Click to show BALLS
BALLS
You cannot have a rugby match without a ball. According to legend, the ball that William Webb Ellis picked up and ran with at Rugby School in 1823 was similar in shape to the oval ball of today. Why Rugby School played with an oval football before running with it in one’s hands was allowed is a mystery, but the evidence is that balls of that shape were used for many years before Webb Ellis attended the school.
It could be that different forms of football were traditionally played with a pig’s bladder as the ball. Any good pig-hunter will tell you that a pig’s bladder, when inflated, is basically oval in shape. When, by 1840, leather covers were made for the bladders, they were fitted to that shape. Thus today’s rugby ball is a direct throwback to the pig’s bladder balls that were kicked around the playing fields of Rugby School early in the nineteenth century. The ‘feet only’ game of association football adopted the round ball on its own.
For years South African rugby favoured using an eight-paneled leather ball, as distinct from the standard four panels used elsewhere. In 1961 it joined the rest of the world in adopting the four-panel ball.
The first rubber bladders were made in 1870. Another significant change to the rugby ball came in 1931 when the rather squat shape of the early ball, which made for easier place-kicking and drop-kicking, was replaced by a narrower, more torpedo-like shape that is able to be passed more easily. The length was shortened by one and a half inches (35mm). A lace to hold the inner bladder together used to be found on every ball, but is now missing from the modern ball.
The main other differences that exist in the modern ball are that they are made out of synthetic rubber and have thousands of raised lumps on their surface. All are designed to give greater grip for the players’ handling. Whether they do aid catching and dispatching in a pass is the subject of endless debate among rugby watchers.
Also used on every ball are various brand names, as companies vie to have their ball used in major televised fixtures and therefore expand brand exposure and sales.
10 Questions to well known sporting people
Today's KQ Rugby Quiz
What made Namibia's Rudi van Vuuren unique in Rugby World Cup history?
What do you think?
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