MORRIS EDWIN WOOD

REPRESENTED NEW ZEALAND: 1901. 03, 04 (12 matches, 2 Internationals)
Points for New Zealand: 34, 6 tries. 4 conversions, 2 dropped goals
Position: FIVE-EIGHTH
Born: Waipawa 9 October, 1876
Died: Paraparaumu 9 August, 1956
Provincial Record: Bush 1894 (Pahiatua)
1896, 97 (Woodville)
Hawke’s Bay 1898, 99 (Napier)
Wellington 1900.01 (Wellington)
Canterbury 1902-03 (Christchurch)
Auckland 1904 (Ponsonby)
South Island 1902, 03 Described as ‘an ideal type of five-eighth, good on defence, dazzling on attack’, Wood represented five unions during his 11 -year career in first- class Rugby. He scored a try and kicked four conversions for the 1901 New Zealand team against Wellington and New South Wales. Scored a brilliant try in the 1903 Inter Island match, running through half the North Island team without a hand laid on him to cross between the posts. In that year he toured Australia and appeared in the first official Test match. Played against the 1904 British team but a recurring knee injury forced his retirement after Auckland’s game against the tourists. New Zealand’s champion long jumper 1904 with a leap of 19’ 7 1/2 Represented Hawke’s Bay in Hawke Cup cricket. Retired as Blenheim branch manager of NZ Loan & Mercantile Ltd.

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