Travers Hardwick

Travers Harry Hardwick^[3] (13 March 1923 – 25 April 1979) was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand and coached them in the 1960 World Cup.^[1][2]

Travers Hardwick

Personal information
Full name	Travers Harry Hardwick
Born	(1923-03-13)13 March 1923 New Zealand
Died	25 April 1979(1979-04-25) (aged 56)
Playing information
Position	Second-row, Loose forward
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1944–49 Ponsonby 11 0 0 33 1950–19?? Ngaruawahia Total 0 11 0 0 33 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1944–1945 Auckland Pākēha 2 1 0 0 3 1945–49 Auckland 5 0 0 0 0 1946–52 New Zealand 14 4 0 0 12 1950–52 Waikato 1953 American All Stars
Coaching information
Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1956 NZ Māori 1959–60 New Zealand 8 4 0 4 50
Source: [1][2]

Early years

Hardwick originally played rugby union in the Wairarapa before taking up rugby league when he moved to Auckland.^[4]

Playing career

Hardwick played for Ponsonby in the Auckland Rugby League competition. He first represented Auckland in 1945.

Hardwick was selected for New Zealand in 1946 and went on to play in fourteen Test matches between 1946 and 1952. He also captained the Kiwis.^[5] In 1950 Hardwick moved south, joining the Ngaruawahia Panthers in the Waikato Rugby League and represented Waikato.^[6]

Hardwick assisted the touring American All Stars team in 1953 due to their injury crises.^[5]

Coaching career

Hardwick coached the New Zealand Māori in 1956.^[5]

He coached New Zealand for two years, in 1959 and 1960. This included the 1960 World Cup. He also served as a New Zealand selector between 1971 and 1975.^[7]

He was an Auckland selector in 1973.^[5]

Hardwick was inducted into the New Zealand Rugby League's Legends of League in 2000.^[8]