Lou Hutt
Lou Hutt was a representative rugby league player who played in the Waikato, Auckland, and in England. He played for New Zealand in 8 tests from 1928 to 1935 and was Kiwi #193.
Early life
Louis Stanley George Hutt was born in Auckland on July 8, 1904. He was the son of Clara Hannah Hutt and Frederick Stanley John Hutt, while he had a brother named Victor Walter Carder Hutt who was born in 1898.Playing career
Waikato
Hutt began playing senior rugby league in 1921 at the extremely young age of 16. He was playing for the Ngaruawahia club side in the Lower Waikato competition. On June 12 he played for the Lower Waikato representative team in a match against Hamilton-Cambridge. His side won 27 to 10 at Victoria Square in Cambridge with Hutt playing in the second row. On July 17 he played for the same side against the same opponent with Hamilton-Cambridge winning 8-6 though Hutt did cross for Lower Waikato's first try. He was named as an emergency player in Lower Waikato's Endean Shield match with King Country on August 7 but did not take the field.In 1922 he was again playing for Ngaruawahia and scored a try and kicked a conversion in a B team match for them against Hamilton B on July 15. His try came after receiving a pass from Wilson Hall and “beat practically the Hamilton team, scored beneath the posts” before also converting the try. The newspapers reported that he was the “outstanding player” in the Ngaruawahia forward pack. His form was good enough to gain selection for the South Auckland representative side later in the season. He played for them against Wellington on September 5 in the front row. The match was played at Palmerston North and saw South Auckland win easily 32–6 in front of 500 spectators. Hutt then played for South Auckland against Hawkes Bay in a match at Napier on September 9 which they lost 15–13. Then on September 27 Hutt played for South Auckland against the touring New South Wales. They performed well against a strong side only losing 17–12 with Hutt in the second row. The match was played at Steele Park in Hamilton before a crowd of 1,500. Just 3 days later South Auckland played Auckland on Steele Park with Hutt's side winning 28–16 in front of 2,500 spectators.
1923 saw Hutt once again playing for Ngaruawahia and he made 2 appearances for the Lower Waikato side in matches against Hamilton on July 7 and August 4 with Lower Waikato winning the match 11–0. On October 8 he played in a South Auckland trial match to try to make the South Auckland team to play Auckland but he was not ultimately picked in that side.
1924 was a far busier representative season for Hutt. He was aged 20 by this point and his father was the president of the Ngaruawahia rugby league club. On June 3 he played for Lower Waikato against Hamilton. Hamilton won the match 16–13 at Hinemoa park. Hutt played at hooker and was said to have not had a good match in that position “but in the loose work is as good as any other forward in the district”. On July 19 he played for Lower Waikato again against Hamilton and scored a try in a 19–13 win. The try came after there forwards had Hamilton “hemmed” on their line with “Hutt forcing his way through to score between the posts”. After the match was completed the selectors chose him to play in the front row for South Auckland against the touring England. The match was played in Hamilton on July 23 before a crowd of 3,000. England were too strong winning 28–16. He kicked a penalty for Lower Waikato in their 26–5 win over Hamilton on July 26 in a match which was for the Endean Shield. On July 26 he played for Waikato against the England side once more. This time he was playing lock in a 30–12 loss. The match was played in Ngaruawahia in front of a large crowd. On August 20 Hutt played for Lower Waikato against Auckland B at Carlaw Park in Auckland with the visiting side going down 15–14. And then 3 days later on August 23 he kicked a conversion for Lower Waikato against Hamilton in an Endean Shield match which they won 20–2 at Huntly. Hutt's final representative match of the season was for South Auckland against Auckland at Steele Park in Hamilton. South Auckland won 21–5 against an under strength visiting side though Hutt played a prominent part for South Auckland in the match and they held on to the Northern Union Cup.
In 1925 was to be Hutt's final season playing in the Waikato. He played for South Auckland against Auckland C on June 27 as part of a series of trial matches on that day to help the selectors choose the New Zealand team to tour England and Wales. South Auckland lost 13–11 with Hutt playing in the second row. On August 19 he played for South Auckland again in a 24–16 loss to the full Auckland side at Carlaw Park. The following month Hutt applied to join the Ponsonby side in the Auckland competition. It is unclear if he was moving to Auckland for work reasons or to advance his rugby league career.
Move to Auckland and Ponsonby club
In September Hutt applied to join the Ponsonby United rugby league club and this was approved. Just days later he debuted for them in the Stormont Shield semi final where they beat Marist Old Boys 23–22. It was said that he was one of their best forwards and “justified his inclusion in the team”. He played again the following week in the side which won the Stormont Shield final in its inaugural season with a 35–3 win over City Rovers with Hutt said to have played well.Auckland and North Island selection and New Zealand trialist
In 1926 Hutt played 14 matches for Ponsonby and scored 3 tries. Ponsonby won the championship when they defeated City Rovers in the final 13–8. After two rounds of club games the newspaper reported that he gave “one of the best exhibitions of forward play given at Carlaw Park this season…from start to finish he was dashing, and few better displays have been seen in Auckland. On that showing he would at least be entitled to consideration as a possibility for the New Zealand team, and it will be interesting to note his form in matches to come”. Then after their round 6 match with Marist Old Boys it was said he played with “great elan and dash and when occasion offered worked with his backs in the manner that is expected of a versatile forward”.On June 26 Hutt made his Auckland debut against his former South Auckland team. Auckland won easily by 49 points to 15 before a crowd of 8,000 at Carlaw Park with Hutt playing in the second row. He was then selected to play in the second row for the North Island in their inter-island match with the South Island a week later. The North Island won 31-22 before a large crowd of 18,000 again at Carlaw Park. It was said in the newspaper that Hutt had “now been given two trials but so far has failed to produce the promise expected of him”. Then on July 7 he played for Auckland against the “Rest of New Zealand”. Auckland went down 28–21 with Hutt once again playing in the second row. He played in another trial match on July 10 for an A team against a B Team which was a curtain-raiser to the NZ Probables v Possibles match. Following this match the New Zealand team to tour England and Wales was announced and Hutt missed selection. He was named in an extended squad in case any players named were unable to tour but ultimately was not required. He played one further representative match for Auckland against South Auckland on October 9. The match was for the Northern Union Challenge Cup and Auckland held on to it with a 25–8 win. Hutt then rounded off the season playing in the Stormont Shield win over Richmond Rovers 15–5.
The 1927 season saw Hutt play 14 matches for Ponsonby, scoring 2 tries and kicking 1 conversion. Ponsonby could only manage second place in the championship. Hutt's first game of the season was for Auckland against the returning Auckland members of the New Zealand team that had toured England and Wales. The Auckland side won 24-21 before 14,000 spectators with Hutt playing in the lock position. At the conclusion of the club season Hutt played 4 matches for Auckland. Auckland had gone on a Southern Tour and he played in their match against Canterbury at Monica Park, Christchurch on September 10. Auckland won 24–13 with Hutt scoring a try in the corner in the second half. He then played against a combined West Coast/Buller side at Victoria Park in Greymouth with Auckland winning 42-15. Hutt played in his third consecutive match of the tour against Otago on September 17 with Auckland winning 20–13. And he was again selected for the final tour match against Wellington on September 21. The match was played at Newtown Park in Wellington and saw Auckland win easily by 41 points to 23 with Hutt said to be one of the more conspicuous forwards in the Auckland side. On October 8 Buller visited Auckland and Hutt was part of the local side which won 60 to 33 with Hutt scoring a try. Then a week later he played in the final representative match of the season which saw Auckland lose control of the Northern Union Challenge Cup in a 29–12 loss to South Auckland.
New Zealand selection
The 1928 season was an extremely busy one for Hutt. He played in 28 matches in total. He made 17 appearances for Ponsonby and scored 5 tries. His first representative match of the season was for Auckland against South Auckland. Auckland won back the Northern Union Challenge Cup in a 22–3 with Hutt scoring a try wide out after receiving a pass from Allan Seagar who had intercepted. Hutt was playing in the front row. On July 11 he played in an Auckland trial match as they were beginning preparations for the England tour the following month. His Possibles side won 24–14. Then on July 21 he was in the second row for the Auckland team which thrashed Canterbury 66 to 26 at Carlaw park before an enormous crowd of 15,000. Four days later on July 25 the Auckland team was upset by the visiting team from South Auckland by 19 points to 17. The score was said to have flattered Auckland with the forwards being outclassed with the exception of “Hutt and Hall”. Following this performance Hutt was selected in the second row for the North Island team to play the South Island in their annual fixture. The North Island side ran out easy winners by 44 to 8 before a crowd of 10,000 at Carlaw Park. Hutt's try was the first of the match after Maurice Wetherill combined with Raynor, and Hec Brisbane before Hutt crossed.England had arrived in New Zealand by this point after leaving the Australian leg of their tour. Hutt was selected to play in the first test against them in the position of prop. New Zealand upset England by 17 points to 13 at Carlaw Park before a record crowd of 28,000 on August 4. The match was described as a “desperately hard game”. A week later he was again in the front row for the match between Auckland and England on August 11. Auckland went down 26–15. Hutt then headed south to play in the second test at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin on August 18. Before a crowd of 12,000 New Zealand went down 13–5. The match was described as being very dirty with players from both teams playing the man rather than the ball throughout the match. It was reported that Goodall, Hutt, and both O’Brien's “kept the Englishmen busy” with the ball. During the second half Hutt was hurt but was able to continue after receiving medical attention. A week later on August 25 the third and deciding test was played at English Park in Christchurch and in a far tamer affair England won the test and the series with a 6–5 victory before a crowd of 21,000. So many had gathered to watch the game that the gates had to be closed a short time before kick off as the ground reached capacity and 3,000 were left outside. Hutt and O’Brien were said to have played well in the forwards and Hutt was also involved in some “robust spoiling work” along with Hall. He helped save a try when he tackled Sullivan near the line and Tim Peckham kicked the resulting loose ball out over the side line before Bowman cold dive on it.
After watching Hutt's matches in Auckland against the English side the New Zealand Herald reported that he “is one of the most improved players of the code in New Zealand. From a loose forward he has developed into a great worker in the scrum. Hutt stood up to his work in great style, and in each match was going strongly at the finish”. It was also reported in the Manawatu Times that with the exception of Hutt and Goodall, we have no league forwards in New Zealand to-day equal to these men, and very few in Union Rugby either”. One of the English managers, Mr. F.C. Hutchins said following the third test that “Hutt fit for any league team in the world”.
Just a week later Hutt found himself in far different playing circumstances as he was wearing the Ponsonby jersey in Hikurangi with his side playing an exhibition match there. He scored a try in a 22–10 win. On September 15 he played for Auckland against Otago with Auckland winning easily by 42 to 22. Hutt played 5 further matches for Ponsonby but their season ended when they were knocked out of the Roope Rooster competition with a loss to Richmond Rovers in the semi-finals. He made one more appearance for Auckland in a match with South Auckland on October 13 at Davies Park in Huntly. South Auckland won by 21 points to 7.