Fred Allen (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Sir Frederick "Fred" Richard Allen, KNZM
, OBE
(born 9 February 1920) is a former captain and coach of the All Blacks
, New Zealand's national rugby union
team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching.
Allen was born in Oamaru
, New Zealand. He was educated in Christchurch
, where he played for the Linwood club, and at Auckland Grammar School, where he played for the 1st xv as a winger. After captaining the Canterbury Colts in 1938, he was selected for Canterbury
in 1939. During World War II Allen served as a lieutenant in the 27th and 30th Battalions. He played for service teams including the 2nd NZEF "Kiwis" Army team that toured Britain following the war.
When he returned to New Zealand he settled in Auckland, and was selected for the All Blacks in 1946. He continued to play for the All Blacks, and in 1949 was selected as captain for the 1949 tour to South Africa. Although each test match
was very close, the All Blacks lost the series 4-0. Allen retired from playing after the series.
Allen went on to coach, and was a selector-coach for Auckland during their Ranfurly Shield
era of the late 1950s. He became an All Blacks selector, before becoming All Blacks coach in 1966. A fierce but very effective coach, Allen picked up the nickname of "The Needle". The All Blacks' reign under Allen was the team's most successful; they won all 14 of their tests with him as coach. The New Zealand Rugby Football Union awarded Allen the Steinlager Salver in 2002, and in 2005 Allen was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
.
On 7 June 2010, Allen was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to rugby. He had previously been awarded an OBE in 1990.
On 25 September 2010, Allen became the oldest living All Black.
Games: 15 (15 as Captain)
Total Matches: 21 (21 as Captain)
Test Points: 0pts
Game Points: 21pts (7t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)
Total Points: 21pts (7t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 9 February 1920) is a former captain and coach of the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, New Zealand's national rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching.
Allen was born in Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...
, New Zealand. He was educated in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, where he played for the Linwood club, and at Auckland Grammar School, where he played for the 1st xv as a winger. After captaining the Canterbury Colts in 1938, he was selected for Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Football Union
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
in 1939. During World War II Allen served as a lieutenant in the 27th and 30th Battalions. He played for service teams including the 2nd NZEF "Kiwis" Army team that toured Britain following the war.
When he returned to New Zealand he settled in Auckland, and was selected for the All Blacks in 1946. He continued to play for the All Blacks, and in 1949 was selected as captain for the 1949 tour to South Africa. Although each test match
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
was very close, the All Blacks lost the series 4-0. Allen retired from playing after the series.
Allen went on to coach, and was a selector-coach for Auckland during their Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
era of the late 1950s. He became an All Blacks selector, before becoming All Blacks coach in 1966. A fierce but very effective coach, Allen picked up the nickname of "The Needle". The All Blacks' reign under Allen was the team's most successful; they won all 14 of their tests with him as coach. The New Zealand Rugby Football Union awarded Allen the Steinlager Salver in 2002, and in 2005 Allen was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
.
On 7 June 2010, Allen was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to rugby. He had previously been awarded an OBE in 1990.
On 25 September 2010, Allen became the oldest living All Black.
All Blacks statistics
Tests: 6 (6 as Captain)Games: 15 (15 as Captain)
Total Matches: 21 (21 as Captain)
Test Points: 0pts
Game Points: 21pts (7t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)
Total Points: 21pts (7t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)
External links
- rugbymuseum.co.nz profile
- International Rugby Hall of Fame profile
- "Auckland honours NZ All Black great", newzealand.com, 9 February 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.