Hubert Turtill

Hubert Turtill
Personal information
Full name Hubert Sydney Turtill
Nickname Jum
Born (1880-02-01)1 February 1880
London, England
Died 9 April 1918(1918-04-09) (aged 38)
France
Playing information
Weight 72 kg (11 st 5 lb)
Rugby union
Position Fullback

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1902–1906 Canterbury
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1905 New Zealand 1 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position Fullback

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1909–1913 St. Helens 137 3 197 0 403
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1907–1908 New Zealand 6 1 1 0 5
Source: [1]

"Jum" Hurbert Sydney Turtill[2] was a New Zealand dual-code footballer, playing rugby union and then rugby league for New Zealand. After emigrating to Britain, he served in the British Army during the First World War, and was killed while serving in 1918.

Early years

Turtill's father died in London when he was only three years old and his mother decided to move to New Zealand to be with relatives. On the sea voyage in 1884 he gained the nickname Jum, short for Jumbo. Turtill worked in New Zealand as a decorative metal worker.[3]

Rugby union

He started his rugby union career playing for Christchurch Albion before making the Canterbury team in 1902.[4] He represented the South Island in 1903 and 1907. He became an All Black in 1905, playing against Australia.

Rugby league

In 1907 he joined the professional All Blacks – better known as the All Golds[5] – on their tour of Great Britain and Australia, thus joining the code that would evolve into rugby league. He was selected because he was considered well versed in wet weather football, something the side would constantly experience in Great Britain.[4] On the tour he played in six test matches and captained the side in the first ever trans-Tasman test against the Australia national rugby league team in 1908. Turtill only scored one try on tour, but it was an important one - in a test match against Great Britain - and helped them win the series.

Once the tour was over he returned to England with his wife, originally intending to play for Salford.[6] However he instead joined St. Helens where he also owned a pub, the "Lord Nelson Hotel" in St Helens.[7]

First World War

After the outbreak of the First World War, Turtill served with the British Army. He became a sergeant in the Royal Engineers until he was killed in France in 1918.[7][8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Herbert Turtill rugbyleagueproject.org
  2. ↑ TURTILL, Hubert Sydney 1907 - 08 - Kiwi #21 nzleague.co.nz
  3. ↑ Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987. p.11
  4. 1 2 John Haynes From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers, Christchurch, Ryan and Haynes, 1996. ISBN 0-473-03864-1
  5. ↑ All Golds
  6. ↑ Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987. p.15
  7. 1 2 Coffey and Wood The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League ISBN 1-86971-090-8
  8. ↑ CWGC entry
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