Wellington College Rugby

All Blacks

With 35, Wellington College boasts the third highest number of All Blacks of any secondary school in the country; including Neemia Tialata, Dane Coles, Jeff Toomaga-Allen and most recently Lima Sopoaga.

Wellington College All Blacks (Alphabetical order)

Henry Avery – Wing Forward

3 tests, 3 games, 6 matches, 1910, All Black 170.
Started the Avery motors business and became the quartermaster general in the army.

Ralph Caulton – Winger

16 tests, 34 games, 50 matches overall, 1959-64, All Black 600.
Caulton scored 31 tries for the All Blacks 8 of which were in tests.
Played for Wellington and was a selector when Marlborough won the Ranfurly Shield in 1965.

Dane Coles – Hooker

In 2012, Coles made his All Blacks debut against Scotland. He came on in the 62nd minute: New Zealand 51, Scotland 22
He currently plays for the Hurricanes, Wellington and Poneke.

Ernie Dodd – Hooker

Played in the All Blacks first test against Australia in 1905 and against New South Wales and Wellington in 1901.
All Black 83 played 45 games for Wellington.
He was killed in action in France during WWI.

Jim Donald- Wing Forward

1st XV 1915.
2 tests, 20 games, 22 matches overall, 1920-21, All Black 218.
Played 104 first class matches including the Battle of Solway when Wairapapa took the Ranfurly Shield off Hawkes Bay after 24 defences in 1927.
Captained the All Blacks in 7 games in Australia in 1925. None were tests but five wins were achieved.

Quentin Donald – Hooker

1st XV 1917.
4 tests, 19 games, 23 matches overall, 1923-25.
Another Wellington College product to appear on the Invincibles tour All Black 275 played 47 games for Wairarapa and later served as a selector and a coach of that province.

Kenneth Elliot – Lock/Number 8

2 tests, 1946, 31-8 and 14-10 wins over Australia, All Black 453.
A member of the Wellington team that beat the famous Kiwis side 18-11 in 1946.
Later became the Senior Lay Canon of Christchurch Cathedral.

Marc Ellis – Utility Back

Was a star fly-half at Wellington College.
8 tests, 12 games, 20 matches overall, All Black 926.
Scored a world record 6 tries in a single test against Japan at the 1995 World Cup. Finished his 8 tests with 11 tries.
Played 5 tests for the Kiwis.

Frank Glasgow – Loose Forward

One of several future All Blacks not to make the 1stXV.
Played for the Athletic club.
6 tests, 29 games, 35 matches overall, All Black, 117.
Played 27 matches on the Originals tour. Glasgow scored 10 tries in all matches for the All Blacks.
Later coached King Country and served on the NZRFU.

Ken Gray – Prop

Never made the 1st XV where he was told he was too small.
24 tests, 26 games, 50 matches overall, 1963-1969, All Black 636.
Only lost two tests.
Played 133 games for Wellington.
Won four Jubilee Cups with Petone who have named a player academy after him.
The winner of the annual between St Pats Silverstream and Wellington College is awarded the Ken Gray Memorial Cup.

Jack Griffiths – Five-eighth/Centre

1st XV 1928.
23 games, 7 tests, 30 matches overall, 1934-1938, All Black 399.
Captained the All Blacks in the 1936 sweep of Australia.
Won an MC during World War II.
Played every position in the Wellington back-line expect wing.

Brian Killeen – Second five-eighth/Centre

Did not make the 1st XV at school.
1 game, 1 test, 2 matches overall, 1936, All Black 422.
Played 60 first class matches for four different unions.

Eric Leys – Halfback

1 test, 4 games, 5 matches overall, 1929.
He later played cricket for Wellington Town bowls for Auckland and was the Auckland B tennis champion in 1936.

Robert McKenzie – First Five Eighth

1st XV 1920-22.
2 games 1928, All Black 360.
Was a long-time teacher at Hutt Valley High School.

David Mason – Winger

1 test, 6 games, 7 matches overall, All Black, 478.
His only test was a 27-14 win against Australia in 1947 the year of all of his matches for the All Blacks.
The insurance executive later moved to South Africa, only playing 14 first class matches in New Zealand.

Graham Mexted – Number 8

1 test, 5 games, 6 matches overall, 1950-51, All Black 520.
Mexted played 38 first class matches. His only test was an 11-8 win against the British Lions in 1950.
Mexted’s son Murray played 34 tests for the All Blacks. Graham ran the successful Mexted motors in Tawa for several years.

Mark Nicholls – Five-eighth

1st XV 1917-1919.
10 tests, 41 games, 51 matches overall, 1921-30, All Black 233.
Scored 48 points in tests and 284 including 20 tries in all matches for the All Blacks.
Leading points scorer on the Invincibles tour with 121 points in 20 games.
An unbeaten All Black captain in 6 games but no tests as captain.
Such was his class he could have played many more times for the All Blacks but strangely was often overlooked. He only played 1 test on the 1928 tour of South Africa despite being the official vice captain of the team.
In 124 first class matches Nicholls scored 619 points, a record until Bob Scott broke it in 1951.
Later became a Wellington and All Black’s selector.

Harry Nicholls – Halfback

1 test, 6 games, 7 matches overall, 1921-23, All Black 232.
Standing at 1.62 meters and 59kg Nicholls was one of the smallest All Blacks of all time.

Arnold Perry – First five-eighth

1st XV fullback
All Black 278 played his sole match in a 34-6 win against New South Wales in 1923.
Later became a delegate to the Otago Rugby Union, serving as President in 1935-36.

Cliff Porter – Wing Forward

1st XV 1915.
7 tests, 34 games, 41 matches overall, 1923-1930, All Black 286.
Captained the All Blacks 37 times for 31 wins, scored 16 tries as an All Black.
The Captain of the Invincibles tour played 110 first class games.

Charlie Rushbrook – Winger

A 1st XV and sprit star at Wellington College.
In 10 games for the All Blacks scored 17 tries including 7 against Victoria in 1928 which was a record until Ron Heeps scored 8 in 1962.
Scored 29 tries in 33 first class matches.

Joey Sadler – Halfback

1st XV 1930-32.
5 tests, 14 games, 19 matches overall, 1935-36, All Black 414.
If is often said if he did not suffer a knee injury in 1937 he might have been remembered as one of the great halfbacks.

Graham Shannon – Halfback/Wing forward

6 games, 1893, All Black 31.
His father was the founder of Shannon.
Died aged 42 as a result of serious head injuries during his rugby career.

Mark Sayers – Second five-eighth

15 games, 1972-1973, All Black 714.
Played 94 games for Wellington.
Later played club footy in South Africa.

Lima Sopoaga – First five-eighth

16 games, 2015-2017, All Black 1145.
Won 2015 Super Rugby title with the Highlanders

Neemia Tialata – Prop

1st XV 2000.
43 tests, 2005-2010, All Black 1060.
Plays for the Petone club.

Filo Tiatia – Number 8

2 tests, 2000, All Black 993.
Scored two tries in his two tests, a 102-0 win against Tonga and a 56-19 win against Italy.
Brother Ace played for Samoa.
Filo who was 1.93cm and 112kg played 80 matches for Wellington.

Hector Thomson – Winger

Attended Christchurch Boys High School and made the 1st XV at Wellington in 1897.
15 games, 1 test, All Black 140.
Thomson scored 16 tries, including 6 against British Columbia in 1906.
Only played 11 matches on the Originals tour. His sole test was in 1908 a 32-5 win over the Anglo Welsh.
Played for four different provinces.

Jeffery Toomaga-Allen - Prop

Plays as a tighthead prop for Wellington Lions in the ITM Cup and the Hurricanes in Super Rugby.
Represented New Zealand under 20 in the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship.
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen became All Black no. 1130, in the test against Japan on 2 November 2013.

Ian Uttley – Centre

1st XV 1959.
Played in 2 wins against England in 1963, All Black 634.
Later became a senior executive with Shell Oil.

Francis Ward – Winger

1st XV 1917-18.
Played a match against New South Wales in 1921 and then retired a season later with a serious knee injury.
All Black 247.

Eric Watkins – Hooker

Played in the All Black first test in 1905, All Black 140.
Played for the All Gold’s on the tour of England in 1907-08.
Played 40 games for Wellington.

Jim Watt – Winger

1st XV 1931.
2 tests and 2 tries in 11-6 and 38-13 wins against Australia in 1936, All Black 424.
Won the national quarter mile title from 1934-37.
Dr Watt was professor of paediatrics at Otago University.

Peter Webb- Forward

8 games, 1884
All Black 15 won every game he played in.
He lived from 1876-1954.

Alan Wright – Winger

4 games, 1938, All Black, 448.
Wright scored 11 tries for the All Blacks and 32 in 51 first class matches.
His father was Hercules Wright the captain of the All Gold’s on their tour of Britain and France in 1907-08.