Alister Atkinson Explained

Alister Atkinson
Fullname:Alister James Atkinson
Birth Date:26 July 1925
Birth Place:Christchurch, New Zealand
Death Place:Christchurch, New Zealand
Height:178cm (70inches)
Weight:82kg (181lb)
Club1:Linwood
Year1start:1948
Year1end:1958
Teama:Canterbury
Yearastart:1948
Yearaend:56
Teamb:South Island
Yearbstart:1949
Yearbend:55
Teamc:New Zealand
Yearcstart:1951
Yearcend:56
Appearancesc:24
Triesc:4
Goalsc:0
Fieldgoalsc:0
Pointsc:12
First:RU
Ru Club1:Canterbury
Ru Year1start:1945
Ru Year1end:46
Source:[1]
New:yes

Alister James Atkinson (1925-2002) was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand in the 1954 World Cup.[1] His position of preference was at Loose forward.[2]

Playing career

Atkinson started his career as a rugby union player and represented the Canterbury Rugby Union in 1945 and 1946.[3]

After switching codes, Atkinson became a Linwood Keas player in the Canterbury Rugby League competition and a Canterbury and South Island representative. Atkinson was a reserve for New Zealand in 1950 and first played for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1951.[4] Atkinson toured Great Britain and France in 1951–52 and 1955–56 and Australia in 1952. Overall, he played in 71 games for the Kiwis, including in 24 tests, and was the vice captain of the squad in the inaugural World Cup.[5] 23 of his test appearances were consecutive, until he missed the third test against Great Britain in the 1955 series.[6]

Atkinson was also a sprinter, being fast enough to compete on the cash sprinting circuit which existed at that time.[7]

Later years

Atkinson was a member of the Canterbury board of control between 1968 and 1976 and served as a provincial selector and the New Zealand national rugby league team manager for the 1974 home series against Great Britain.[8] In 1976 Atkinson chaired the Canterbury Board of Control.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org. rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. 1 January 2018.
  2. http://www.nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=&id=336 Atkinson, Alister James 1951–56 – Kiwi #336
  3. Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987.
  4. Lion Red 1988 Rugby League Annual, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1988. p.p.160-167
  5. Bruce Montgomerie Those Who Played, Montgomerie Publishing, 2004. . p.21.
  6. https://archive.today/20120908204826/http://www.nzrl.co.nz/playing-records.aspx Playing Records
  7. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-12079516.html Former Kiwis rugby league forward dies
  8. Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987. p.96.