"THE GRAND OLD MAN" OF NEW ZEALAND RUGBY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 76, 31 March 1945, Page 4 (Supplement)

"THE GRAND OLD MAN" OF NEW ZEALAND RUGBY

MR HARRY FROST RETIRES

The Game's Indebtedness To His Intense Enthusiasm

Aptly described by Mr. A. A. Baker, president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, as "the grand old man of New Zealand Rugby," Mr. Harry Frost retired this week from the presidency of the Auckland Union, a position he had held for a-period of ten years. His active association with the history of Rugby in the Dominion dates back to 1886 and throughout the years His interest and enthusiasm have been maintained to an amazing degree. As a player, referee and administrator, Mr. Frost has made a notable contribution to the development and welfare of the game and there is hardly a position of responsibility and honour that he has not occupied. On his retirement, the Auckland Union has a fresh office for him, that of- honorary life president. Harry Frost embarked tin his remarkable football "Career aw_ay;b,ack in 1886 when, at 17 years, he was playing fifth grade for the -Christ church Football the oldest club in New Zealand. Three years later he was hooking for the club's senior fifteen "arid" the next season he gained representative honours. He continued to-play for Canterbury until he left Christchurch in 1902 and in all he appeared in thirtyeight inter-provincial matches—a fine record of performance when it is considered that representative. programmes then were on a very much reduced scale to those of later years. In 1896, Mr. Frost won an All Black jersey when he played for New Zealand against Queensland at Wellington. Captain of Canterbury Reps. In addition to captaining the Canterbury representatives on a number of occasions, Mr.."Frost'.also took a prominent part in the. administrative affairs of his ■ club, which accorded him life membership, ,and of the Canterbury Union. For two terms he also served on the representative selection committee.

Transferring to Auckland, Mr. Frost turned his interests to refereeine and he was a member of the Auckland Referees' Association from 1906 to 1913, for the last four years occupying the position of president. When he relinquished office, he was elected a life member of the association Mr. Frost was elected to the executive of the Auckland Rugby Union in 1915, and he continued to render valiant service until 1935, when he was appointed president of the union. For the last 15 years he was on the executive of the union, Mr. Frost held the arduousposition of chairman. In recognition of his great work for Rugby, the Auckland Union elected Mr. Frost an honorary life member in 1929, while the New Zealand Rugby Union, of which he was president in the 1924-25 season, accorded him a like honour in 1939. He has also been a member of the Eden Park Board of Control since its inception in 1925, and a trustee of the Auckland Rugby Union for the past quarter of a century. In 1919, Mr. Frost was one ot the three New ZealanJ delegates to the Rugby Football Conference, held in Sydney, and agair in 1921 he a delegate to the conference in Wellington ai'endfd by delegates from Nsa.' Zealand, South Africa and NewSouth Wales.

Mr. Frost has also found time to take a keen interest in cricket, rowing, swimming and athletics. He played a considerable amount of cricket in Christchurch, and was also a member of the Parnell Club after coming to Auckland. He was one of those primarily responsible for the formation of the Auckland Amateur Swimming Centre, whole he was deputy captain of the Canterbury Rowing Club %in 1900 and 1901, and was a member of several successful regatta crews. He is a past secretary and past president of the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, and is. a life member of the Auckland, Amateur Athletic Club. Few men in the history of New Zealand Rugby, or any other sport, for that matter, have made a greater contribution to the welfare of the game than Mr. Frost, and his honorary life presidency of the Auckland Rugby Union is a well-deserved honour. .