Bill Cunningham (rugby union)

Bill Cunningham

Bill Cunningham in 1904
Birth name	William Cunningham
Date of birth	(1874-07-08)8 July 1874
Place of birth	Te Awamutu, New Zealand
Date of death	3 September 1927(1927-09-03) (aged 53)
Place of death	Auckland, New Zealand
Notable relative(s)	Reremoana Hakiwai (sister) Rēweti Kōhere (brother-in-law) Wi Pere (uncle) Ōtene Pītau (uncle) Kate Wyllie (aunt) Thomas Halbert (grandfather)
Occupation(s)	Axeman, miner, freezing works labourer
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Waihi West () – City (Auckland) () – Ponsonby () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1899–1913 Auckland 45 () Goldfields sub-union () 1902, 1908 North Island () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1901–08 New Zealand 39 (22) 1910–12 New Zealand Māori

William Cunningham (8 July 1874 – 3 September 1927) was a New Zealand rugby union player who represented New Zealand—known as the All Blacks—between 1901 and 1908. Most notably he toured with the Original All Blacks on their 1905–06 tour of the British Isles, France and North America. They were the first New Zealand representative team to visit the British Isles, and of their 32 matches there Cunningham played in 23. He played mainly at lock, and was added to the touring party due to his strong scrummaging ability. He played in three Test matches during the trip: against Scotland, Ireland and France, but did not play in the loss to Wales due to injury, the All Blacks' only defeat on tour.

Born near Te Awamutu, Cunningham originally played club rugby in Waihi, in the Coromandel region. Lying within the Auckland Rugby Football Union's boundaries, he was selected to play for Auckland province in 1899 and continued to represent the side until his retirement in 1913. He was first picked for New Zealand in 1901, and played against New South Wales that year, but was not selected again until the 1905 Originals' tour. After the tour he continued to represent New Zealand in both 1907 and 1908. Affiliating to Rongowhakaata, he was a member of the first ever New Zealand Māori team in 1910, and played for them again in 1912. On retirement in 1913 he had appeared for Auckland 45 times, and for New Zealand 39—both large numbers for the time.