Walter Brimble
Walter Pierrepont Brimble was a rugby league player who represented New Zealand. He played eight matches for New Zealand on their tour of Australia in 1938, becoming the 257th player to represent New Zealand. He also played three matches for Auckland in 1937–38, and one match for the North Island in 1938. He played senior club rugby union for Manukau from 1932 to 1936 and two games for Auckland B before switching to rugby league where he joined the Manukau club.
Early life
Walter Brimble was born on 16 October 1911, in Molteno, Eastern Cape, South Africa. His father was Englishman Harold Pierrepont Brimble and his mother was Depua Mahadna. She was a Bantu woman and worked as a nurse. Harold was originally working as a railways electrician from Bristol and had moved to South Africa as a 17-year-old with friends looking for work. While there he enlisted in the British Army and was badly wounded in the Boer War. Jane was his nurse and she nursed him back to health. They were married soon after and had five sons while living in South Africa before leaving apartheid South Africa on 9 March 1912. Their sons and ages when they departed South Africa were John, Cyril, Ted, and twins Walter and Lionel. They originally moved to Australia, but their whites settlement law caused them to move again. They travelled to Sydney before boarding the Makura for Hawaii on 6 May 1912. While living in Honolulu for 2 years they had another son, Wilfred Brimble on 16 November 1913 who would also go on to represent New Zealand at rugby league.On 21 April 1915, the family departed Honolulu, Hawaii destined for Auckland on board the SS Niagara. The family travelled in steerage. Harold's occupation was stated as "salesman", John and Cyril were "students" and Jane a "housewife". The whole family was listed, with ages in brackets as Harold P., John, Cyril, Edward , Lionel, Walter, Jane, and Wilfred. They were all listed as being English as nationality aside from Jane who was listed as "African" and Wilfred whose nationality was American as he had been born in Hawaii. The family settled in Onehunga, a modern-day suburb in central Auckland though at that time was considered more on the southern boundary of urban Auckland. While there a seventh son, Amyas, was born on 4 April 1917. Amyas and Harold both died in the Spanish Flu Epidemic; Harold died on 21 November 1917, aged 37, while Amyas died on 17 May 1920, aged 3.
Playing career
The first mention of Walter in the Auckland newspapers was for coming second in a race at the Manukau Cruising Club's annual regatta on February 20, 1926. The club was located on the shore of the Manukau Harbour in Onehunga. He was competing in the Boys' Race and his older brother Ted, who often went by the nickname "Bunny" came first. Older brothers Cyril and John placed in other races that were held. Aside from rugby union and rugby league it was mentioned in an article in The Rugby League News in Australia in 1938 that "apart from football, the Brimbles have distinguished themselves in boxing and track athletics, and Walter won a caddies' golf championship. Walter and Lionel, the twins are keen yachtsmen".Rugby Union
Manukau Rovers Rugby Football Club
The first mention of him in association with rugby was being named in the team list for a 7th Grade match for Manukau Rovers against Green Lane on June 11, 1927. He was playing alongside twin brother Lionel. The following year on May 30 the Sun newspaper published a brief piece titled "The Seven Brimbles". It stated "the stocky Brimble, who is always in the thick of any scrummage in which Manukau is implicated, belongs to a rugby family that puts all other claimants to the description into the shade. Besides this Brimble there are six more, each one them plays in a different grade for Manukau. That is there are seven grade teams, and seven Brimbles, one for each. Saturday in the Brimble family is a big day. Now bring on your records". The article was slightly exaggerated in that there in fact were only 6 playing. After the death of father Harold, and youngest child Amyas around a decade earlier there were only 6 remaining males in the family. At the end of year prize giving Walter was presented with the Dodd Cup as captain of the 6th Grade side. The trophy was for the team with the highest aggregate number of points scored. In 1929 Walter and Lionel were still playing in the 6th Grade side. Their side won the 6th grade championship and were presented with their winners caps at Manukau's annual prizegiving along with the championship cup and the Dodd's Cup.Walter was not mentioned in relation to the Manukau rugby club in 1930, then in 1931 a "W Brimble" was granted a reinstatement to rugby union. It is likely this was Walter as Wilfred was two years his junior and less likely to have switched codes as he was only 16 in 1930 while Walter was 18. The "W Brimble" in question was said to have attended the board for reinstatement "in person". Older brother Ted had switched from the Manukau rugby seniors to the Newton Rangers rugby league club in June 1930.
Senior debut
In 1932 Walter began the year in the Manukau Senior B team. He was listed in their side for their opening game on May 14 until their July 9 match. It is likely that Walter made his debut for the club's Senior A team on July 30 when he was named in one of the five eighth's positions alongside R. Stuart. They were playing Training College at the Epsom Showgrounds on the No. 1 field at 3 pm in the Pollard Cup and won 6 to 5. He played in further matches against University on August 20, and Ponsonby on September 3. In the later match Ponsonby won 16–13 in what was described as the best match seen at Eden Park in the season. The Prime Minister George William Forbes was in attendance. The New Zealand Herald wrote that "Manukau was weakened by the absence of Heazlewood and Berridge, but the substitute five-eighths, W. Brimble proved a distinct find". The Auckland Star was effusive in their praise, saying "Brimble, a substitute five-eighth, did all that was asked of him and a good deal more. In fact, Brimble was one of the best backs on the field. Early on he showed himself to be a player above the ordinary run of club five-eighths. He studied the outlook before making a move, and plied his men round him with subtle and generous touch. His display was one of the best exhibitions of five-eighths play seen on Eden Park this year". The round was marred by the death of the Otahuhu captain, and All Black, Bert Palmer who died after collapsing in their match against University at the Showgrounds after breaking his neck.Brimble played against Waihi in a friendly match on September 10, and then in a game against Training College on September 17 which they lost 13–0 after missing some of their regular players. Brimble was said to have been the pick of the backs along with Arnold Berridge and Stuart, and he "played a fine game, and did more straight running than his mates". Arnold Berridge was a long time Auckland representative player from the late 1920s and early to mid 1930s. Brimble played in a game against Technical Old Boys on September 24 and then in a game with College Rifles the following week on October 1 he scored his first senior try. The match was the final of the Pollard Cup competition and Manukau won 12–5. The Auckland Star said "Brimble was lively all through, his try being a smart piece of work". His final match of the year came in a game between Manukau and Whakatāne at Onehunga on October 8. The Whakatane side which was made up entirely of Māori players won 17 to 8.
1933 Manukau rugby
The 1933 season saw Walter Brimble start the season in the senior side and he went on to play 20 games, scoring 4 tries. His first came in their opening game against Grammar on April 29 in the main match at Eden Park. Manukau lost 17–14 with the Auckland Star commenting that Manukau have "an electric little first five eighth" and that "the elusive Brimble was a real danger and often flashed through the defence far too often his good work was in vain". The Herald said he showed "good head work" and his try came after a passing movement involving several teammates. On May 6 the Manukau backs were disappointing in a 12–0 loss to University though Hunter and Berridge played well, and "there were odd occasions when Brimble did brilliant things". He "played a nippy game at first five-eighths, making one or two nice openings. He allowed Mulvihill to get past him once or twice, however". Manukau then struggled again, this time at home in Onehunga, losing 8–0 to Marist Old Boys. Brimble had to play at halfback in place of Webster who went off injured early in the match and was said to have been "prominent" and made a couple of nice kicks during the game. On May 27 Manukau lost to Grafton in Onehunga 23–11, with Brimble "lively". The Herald wrote "Brimble, the Manukau second five-eighths, was very nippy, and his solo efforts trouble the opposition". In the second half with Grafton attacking "Brimble turned the tables with a high kick" that eventually resulted in Papper scoring between the posts". On June 3 Manukau was held scoreless for the third time in a 17–0 loss to College Rifles. Brimble, "the diminutive second five eighths, displayed his usual nippiness and was always on the alert". On June 10, Manukau suffered an unlucky defeat, with the scores at 8–8 with time almost up Otahuhu scored a try to win. Brimble was "brilliant on occasions" and he scored one of their tries. The Herald wrote that "the shining light in the opening spell was Brimble at five eighths. He dodged and side-stepped to advantage and scored a fine try" after securing the ball following an "open rush" and "darting over near the posts" after earlier making "a fine weaving run". They lost again on June 17, 11–3 to Ponsonby before a very large crowd at the Showgrounds. He was among the best of the Manukau backs along with Hunter, Berridge, and T. Allen. At times he was "elusive and clever, but spoiled many movements by knocking the ball on frequently". At one stage he took "a brilliant interception" and moved play back to halfway, and was unlucky to receive a bad pass from Fleet after a break by Berridge.Manukau had their first on field win of the season after an earlier default victory, when they beat Technical Old Boys 11–3 on June 24 at Onehunga. Brimble was "fast off the mark and difficult to lay by the heels" according to the Auckland Star's writer. He was seen in some nice attacking movements with Hunter and Berridge, and "was very elusive and tricky". On July 1 they lost again with a 5–0 loss to Grammar which confined them to the bottom of the table after 10 rounds. Despite Brimble "making many fine openings" and he nearly set up a try with Carrington tackled on the line after he had beaten several opponents". They then drew with Training College on July 8 with Brimble passing to Benjamin to score after a Berridge intercept. During the game he was "quick off the mark and needed constant watching". In a 6–3 loss to University on July 5 the Manukau backs struggled to handle the ball with "Brimble being the exception", and he "was easily the best of them, his defence being of great value to his side". Manukau drew with Grafton in a July 29 game where "Brimble was always conspicuous".
On August 5 Manukau was supposed to play Parnell in the Jubilee Cup competition but defaulted and Ponsonby stepped in to play in a friendly match. Ponsonby won 10 to 9 with Brimble scoring one of Manukau's tries. Brimble played in further games against College Rifles, Pukekohe, and Otahuhu. In the later match Manukau won 8–4 which moved them up to 7th out of 10. Brimble, gave the "best all-round display", as "both on attack and defence he played one of his best games, and received a great hearing from his supporters". At one point after a long forward rush "Brimble judiciously kicked to Flett, who following up fast, crossed the line and scored". In an upset 13–12 win over Ponsonby at Eden Park on September 9, "Brimble and Berridge collaborated well".
On September 23 Manukau traveled to Whangārei to play the City club from there. Manukau won 16 to 11 with Brimble playing "a fine game" before a crowd of 800. Upon returning to Auckland, Manukau continued their revival with a 9–7 win at Eden Park over the Marist side which was tied for the championship lead prior to the match. The Herald said Brimble "exploited the short kick to some effect". Manukau then played their final game of the season beating Technical Old Boys 9–8 at the Showgrounds. Brimble scored a try in the first half and set up another for Poulton. The Auckland Star wrote that his "nippiness on attack was the outstanding feature of his play". The Herald said that he "combined splendidly" with Hunter at halfback and was "elusive and clever".