FIRST OTAGO SCHOOLBOY KIWI PASSES AWAY

By Otago Rugby League Historian, Carey Clements

In the near 100 year history since the Otago Rugby League was fully formed as a body, there have only been just two Schoolboy Kiwi representatives.

Last week, the oldest of the two, Sam Williamson, passed away after battling ill health in recent years. He was aged 84.

In 1953, the ORL was reformed after a 19 year hiatus and with it came the development of the Otago Rugby League Schoolboys Board. Remarkably in its first year back, it succeeded beyond initially thought by sending an Otago age grade team to the NZRL Schoolboys tournament in Auckland. Such was the promised shown that the following year, Otago then hosted its one and only national schoolboys’ tournament, as it was then known.

Among the Otago team was young Patrick Williamson, who since his boyhood days was always known as Sam. Remarkably his Otago coach and former 1954-57 Otago representative player, Don Kilgour, is still around at the age of 92.

“Although short in stature, he was a good tackler, that showed magnificent defence in not allowing to get past him,” Don recalled.

During the tournament, Sam played at hooker, which Don felt suited his type of play.

“He was also very competitive and I think because of that and the other qualities, he was deservedly selected into the New Zealand Schoolboys side at the end of the tournament.”

Sadly, Sam Williamson’s career in league was short lived as he soon got married at the age of 18 and went on to a busy life as a father, grandfather and great grandfather along with doing a number of different jobs.

His last involvement in league came in 2003 when the ORL’s 50^th anniversary reunion weekend, where he was met by the two surviving Otago senior Kiwis, John Walshe (1965) and Trevor Patrick (1969-70).

Sam’s wife Colleen survives him along with his extended family.  ​​​​​​​