Charles Woolley (rugby league)

Charles Alexander Woolley is a New Zealand international rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand.[1]

Charles Woolley

Personal information
Full name	Charles Alexander Woolley
Born	7 May, 1893 Adelaide, Australia
Died	1 November, 1966 Rotorua, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	163 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Weight	91 kg (14 st 5 lb)
Position	Wing, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1914 City Rovers 9 2 0 0 6 1920 Grafton Athletic 7 1 4 0 11 1921–22 Fire Brigade 13 3 2 0 13 Total 29 6 6 0 30 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1920–22 Auckland 9 3 0 0 9 1920–21 New Zealand 3 0 0 0 0
Source: [1]

Background

Woolley was born in Adelaide, South Australia.[2] He worked for the Fire Brigade in Auckland and in 1922 was awarded service bars for 15 years service at the City Fire Brigade's annual social.[3]

Playing career

He played for the Grafton Athletic club in the Auckland Rugby League competition and represented Auckland against the 1914 Great Britain Lions.

Woolley fought in World War 1 with his period of service totaling 4 years and 6 days, including 3 years and 209 days overseas. He spent 1915-16 in Egypt, and 1916-18 in Western Europe. Woolley was promoted to sergeant on June 16, 1918. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.[4]

In 1920, after World War I, Woolley was a part of the Auckland side that defeated the 1920 Great Britain Lions, 24–16 on 24 July and becoming the first New Zealand team to defeat Great Britain on New Zealand soil. He then represented New Zealand, playing in all three test matches against the Lions.[1] He toured Australia with the Kiwis in 1921, but no test matches were played during the tour.[5]

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. JESSUP, PETER (15 October 2004). "League: Webb easily able to put team before country". Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
3. "Fire Brigade Social". New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18230. 25 October 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
4. "WOOLLEY, Charles Alexander - WW1 23/962 - Army". Auckland Museum. p. 4. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
5. Coffey, John Oliver; Wood, Bernie (20 November 2017). 100 Years: Māori Rugby League, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 51. ISBN 9781869693312. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via Google Books.