Charlie Oliver (rugby union)

Charles Joshua Oliver (1 November 1905 – 25 September 1977) was a New Zealand rugby union international who also represented his country in first-class cricket.

Charlie Oliver

Birth name	Charles Joshua Oliver
Date of birth	1 November 1905
Place of birth	Wanganui, New Zealand
Date of death	25 September 1977
Place of death	Brisbane, Australia
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	76 kg (168 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Second five-eighth Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) Canterbury () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1929–1936 New Zealand 7 (6)
Cricket information
Batting	Right-handed
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1923–24 to 1936–37	Canterbury
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 35 Runs scored 1301 Batting average 23.23 100s/50s 0/9 Top score 91 Balls bowled 320 Wickets 1 Bowling average 169.00 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 1/35 Catches/stumpings 20/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 9 December 2014

Cricket career

Wanganui-born Oliver played as a specialist right-handed batsman and from 35 first-class matches scored 1301 runs at 23.23, with a best of 91. He represented Canterbury in domestic cricket, having debuted for them in the 1923/24 Plunket Shield. In the 1925/26 season he was a member of the New Zealand side which toured Australia and he made half-centuries against Victoria and South Australia.[1] He also toured the British Isles in 1927 with the national side.[2] He claimed the only wicket of his first-class career during this tour, that of Sussex bowler Reginald Hollingdale.

New Zealand didn't gain Test status in cricket until 1930 and by then he had decided to focus on his rugby, thus missing out on a chance to become a Test 'double international'.

Rugby career

Charles Joshua Oliver passport renewal application (1935)

Oliver's early rugby had been played with Merivale before he made his way into the Canterbury side. He toured Australia in 1929 and made his Test debut for the All Blacks in a match against Australia at Sydney, aged 23. For the 1935/36 tour of Great Britain, Oliver was vice-captain and appeared in four Tests. By the time he retired he had amassed seven Test caps and 33 All Black matches in all, for 58 points.[3]

He spent the final years of his life in Australia. His son-in-law Dave Gillespie was also an All Black.

References

1. "First-Class Matches played by Charlie Oliver". CricketArchive.
2. "New Zealand in British Isles 1927". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 15 June 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
3. "Profile: Charles Oliver". All Blacks.com.

External links

• Scrum.com: Charles Oliver
• Cricinfo: Charlie Oliver
• Charlie Oliver at CricketArchive