Henry Dewar (rugby union)

Norkey Dewar
Birth nameHenry Dewar
Date of birth(1883-10-13)13 October 1883
Place of birthFoxton, New Zealand
Date of death9 August 1915(1915-08-09) (aged 31)
Place of deathChunuk Bair, Gallipoli, Ottoman Turkey
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight82 kg (181 lb)
SchoolBerhampore School
Occupation(s)Iron moulder
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker, flanker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1907–1909 Melrose ()
1910– Hawera ()
–1912 Star ()
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1907–8 Wellington[1] 11 ()
1910–14 Taranaki ()
1913 North Island[2] ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1913 New Zealand 2 (0)
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch New Zealand Army
Years of service1914–1915
RankSergeant
Unit
Battles / wars

Henry "Norkey" Dewar (13 October 1883 – 9 August 1915) was a New Zealand rugby union forward, who played for the All Blacks, and represented Taranaki and Wellington provinces.

Playing for the Melrose Club in Wellington, he was selected in 1908 for the provincial team that played and defeated the Anglo-Welsh team on tour in New Zealand. After moving to Taranaki in 1910, he was soon selected to represent the province. Coming close to winning the Ranfurly Shield in 1912, a subsequent challenge the following year was successful against the longtime holders Auckland. He earned selection to the North Island team for the annual Inter-Island match and thereafter was picked to play for the All Blacks, first to play Australia and then for the tour of North America, in which he played 14 of the 16 games, including the 51–3 defeat of the All America team.

Soon after the British Empire declared war on Germany on 5 August 1914, Dewar signed up to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and took part in the expedition to occupy German Samoa, departing the day after he played for Taranaki defending a challenge from Wairarapa. On his return, he volunteered again for active service and enlisted in the Wellington Mounted Rifles, joining the machine gun section. After promotion to sergeant, he departed in October for Egypt. There, he captained his regiment's rugby team in matches against other New Zealand and Australian regiments. He landed at Anzac Cove on 8 August 1915 and participated in the action to capture Chunuk Bair in the Gallipoli Campaign. The following day he was killed in action.

  1. ^ Sewell 1919, p. 41.
  2. ^ McCarthy 1968, p. 62.