George Seagar

George Seagar
Personal information
Full nameGeorge Bradley Seagar
Born6 May 1888
Auckland, New Zealand
Died30 June 1968(1968-06-30) (aged 80)
Wellington, New Zealand
Playing information
Height181.5 cm (5 ft 11.5 in)
Weight72 kg (11 st 5 lb)
PositionFullback, Loose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1909–20 North Shore 63 19 13 0 83
1910 Combined Clubs 1 1 0 0 3
1917 Combined (City, Newton, & N Shore) 1 1 0 0 3
Total 65 21 13 0 89
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1909–14 Auckland 31 18 8 2 74
1910–11 New Zealand 8 3 13 0 35
Source: [1]

George Seagar was a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand.[1] His younger brother Allan Seagar also represented New Zealand at rugby league.

Rugby League Playing career and Rowing

Seagar in the Auckland side to play Wellington on August 5, 1911.
Seagar second from the left in the 1912 Auckland rugby league side to play New Zealand at Eden Park.

George Seagar was a boiler maker by trade, living in Devonport on Auckland's North Shore.[2] Seagar was one of the first rugby league footballers in New Zealand, representing Auckland against Taranaki in 1909.[3]

In 1909 he joined the North Shore Albions club as a founding player and also served on the Auckland Rugby League's management committee. Seagar played for both Auckland and New Zealand against the touring Great Britain Lions.

He again represented New Zealand in 1911, being part of the tour of Australia, although no test matches were played on tour.[4]

By 1912 Seagar was the captain of North Shore Albions and he again represented Auckland.[5] He did return to Auckland after the war and resumed his career with North Shore playing for them until 1920.

Seagar was also a well known member of the North Shore Rowing club.[6]

His brother Allan Wilfred Seagar would also play for North Shore in the 1920s and 30s and he represented New Zealand in 1930.

World War I

Like many other players of the time his sporting career was either cut short or punctuated by the war. He enlisted in the army and embarked on the Waimana on October 16, 1914 to join the war effort as a corporal, landing at Suez, Egypt. He was part of the Divisional Train, A.S.C., Main Body. He was promoted to sergeant and returned to New Zealand onboard the steamer Willochra early in 1916 after being admitted to hospital on August 8, 1915 suffering from dysentery.[7] Seagar was discharged from service on April 12, 1916 and later awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Seagar, George Bradley - WW1 14/70 War Records". Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 28. 31 May 1915. p. 17. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  3. ^ John Coffey; Bernie Wood (18 September 2009). Auckland, 100 Years of Rugby League, 1909-2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
  4. ^ SEAGAR. George Bradley (1910 - 11) nzleague.co.nz
  5. ^ W.J.Davidson Rugby League Annual - 1949, New Zealand Rugby League, 1949
  6. ^ "Roll of Honour/Careers of the Fallen/Sergeant G.B. Seagar". Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 28. 31 May 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  7. ^ National Library. "Roll of Honour/Careers of the Fallen/Sergeant G.B. Seagar". p. 1. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Seagar, George Bradley - WW1 14/70 War Records". Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 28. 31 May 1915. p. 6. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Seagar, George Bradley - WW1 14/70 War Records". Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 28. 31 May 1915. p. 3. Retrieved 4 August 2020.