Tommy Baxter

Thomas Owen "Tommy" Baxter (c. 1930 – 26 May 2014) was a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in twenty nine tests between 1949 and 1956.[2] In 2007 he was named in the New Zealand Rugby League's Team of the Century.

Tommy Baxter

Personal information
Full name	Thomas Owen Baxter
Born	c. 1930
Died	26 May 2014 (aged 84)[1]
Playing information
Position	Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P Richmond Western Districts Total 0 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P Auckland 1949–56 New Zealand 29 6 0 0 18
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1959 Western Districts 1964 Howick Total 0 0 0 0
Source: [2]

Playing career

Baxter, an Auckland representative, first made the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1949. During the 1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand, Baxter was selected to play for both Auckland and New Zealand at centre. Baxter went on to play in twenty nine tests in the next seven years, scoring six tries. In 1955 he was made captain and led the Kiwis out on ten occasions, including on the 1955–56 tour of Great Britain and France.[3]

In 1959 he was Western Districts (a combination of Mount Albert and Point Chevalier) player-coach and led the team to Auckland Rugby League Fox Memorial Trophy and Rukutai Shield victories as well as winning a national tournament held to celebrate the ARL's fiftieth anniversary and an 8–7 victory over the New South Wales Rugby League's previously unbeaten champion St. George Dragons side.[4]

In 1964 Baxter was the coach of the new Howick senior team.[5]

Awards

Baxter was inducted as a New Zealand Rugby League "Legend of League" in 1995 and is an Auckland Rugby League Immortal.[6][7] Baxter was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 2007 he was named in the New Zealand Rugby League Team of the Century at centre.[8]

References

1. Thomas Owen BAXTER Death Notice. New Zealand Herald (28 May 2014)
2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. Baxter, Thomas Owen 1949 – 56 – Kiwi #320. nzleague.co.nz
4. Coffey, John and Wood, Bernie. (2009) Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4, p. 177.
5. Club History Howick Hornets
6. Legends of League New Zealand Rugby League
7. Stacey Jones, Auckland Rugby League Immortal Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine est1995.co.nz, 21 September 2003
8. "Graham is best in 100 years". The Sunday Star-Times. 2 December 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2011.