Alan Adams

Alan Augustus Adams (8 May 1883 – 28 July 1963) was a New Zealand-born sportsman who played international rugby union for England. He also played first-class cricket for Otago and was a rugby selector for the New Zealand national rugby union team and served as president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.[1]

Alan Adams
Adams in 1932
Birth nameAlan Augustus Adams
Date of birth8 May 1883
Place of birthGreymouth, New Zealand
Date of death28 July 1963(1963-07-28) (aged 80)
Place of deathGreymouth, New Zealand
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1910 England 1 (0)

Early life

Adams was born at Greymouth in New Zealand in 1883, was educated at Auckland Grammar School and studied at Otago University, captaining the university rugby side and playing for Otago representative sides as a centre and outside half.[2][3][4][5] He was described in 1909 as "one of the finest centres Otago has produced".[6] Adams left New Zealand to study medicine at Guy's Hospital in London.

While in London studying medicine, Adams played for Blackheath and was called up to the England national rugby union team.[5][7] He was capped for the first and only time in their eight-point win over France at the Parc des Princes. The fixture was part of England's championship winning 1910 Five Nations campaign.[8][9] As well as Blackheath, he played club rugby for London Hospitals and Rosslyn Park F.C.[10]

He made two first-class cricket appearances for Otago. A batsman, he played both of his first-class matches against Auckland, the first in January 1906 and the second in January 1908, scoring a total of 41 runs, with a highest score of 21. He also played for the side in a non first-class match against a touring Melbourne Cricket Club side in March 1906.[11]

War service and later life

Adams served in the British Armed Forces during World War I. Having initially joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in London in September 1914, he was discharged in December that year to enable him to take up a commission as a lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment.[12] He served with the regiment in northern France and the Gallipoli campaign, during which he was injured.[4][13] He was promoted to captain[14] and discharged in 1920 after the end of the war.[15]

He returned to New Zealand, where he was appointed a selector for the West Coast rugby union[16] and later for the New Zealand national rugby team.[17] He was elected President of the New Zealand Rugby Union in 1929–30.[18][19][20]

Adams died at Greymouth in 1963, aged 83.[1]

References
  1. Alan Adams, CricInfo. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  2. Football, Otago Daily Times, 5 May 1904, p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  3. Football, Otago Witness, 9 December 1908, p. 57. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. Football, Otago Daily Times, 26 August 1915, p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  5. McCarron A (2010) New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 9. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. ISBN 978 1 905138 98 2 (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.)
  6. Football gossip, Patea Mail, 11 June 1909, p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  7. Valedictory - Mr Alan Adams, Grey River Argus, 4 June 1908, p. 3
  8. Alan Adams, ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  9. Five Nations - Parc des Princes, 3 March 1910, ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  10. Cooper S (2009) Rosslyn Park's Antipodeans. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  11. Alan Adams, CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 January 2022. (subscription required)
  12. The War, Evening Star (Dunedin), 6 February 1915, p. 4. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. Lieut. Adams injured, Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1915, p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  14. Capt. Adams, Otago Daily Times, 14 March 1916, p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  15. Alan Adams, Online Cenotaph, Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  16. Football, Otago Daily Times, 17 May 1922, p. 8. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  17. Rugby Gate Prices, Nelson Evening Mail, 20 September 1927, p. 4. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  18. Footballers' mishap, Thames Star, 29 July 1929, p. 5. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  19. Rugby Rules, Evening Star (Dunedin), 21 May 1929, p. 5. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  20. Dr Adams is new N.Z. President, Star (Christchurch), 11 April 1930, p. 4. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
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