KILLED IN ACTION

Evening Star, Issue 24060, 5 December 1941, Page 3

KILLED IN ACTION

CAPTAIN A. W. WESNEY NOTED SOUTHLAND SPORTSMAN I Advice that the former All Black footballer and Southland Rugby and cricket representative, Captain A. W. ’Wosnc.y, has been killed in action has been received by his parents in Invercargill. Only this week word was received that ho had been promoted to the rank of captain. Captain Wesney had a notable sporting career, and was one of Southland’s leading Rugby players. He was educated at Southland Bovs’ High School, and was associated with X. A. Mitchell, the former All Black captain, in the High School Old Boys’ Football Club as well as in Southland teams. Money was a most versatile footballer, being equally at homo at full-back or centre three-quarter. When Southland won the Ranfurly Shield from Otago at Carisbrook in 1937 before over 30.000 Spectators, be played a large part in Southland’s win by 12-7, X. A. Mitchell, the Southland centre three-quarter and captain, was injured in the first spell, and Wesney came on in his place. He opened Southland’s scoring account with a penalty goal from 35yds out, and followed this by scoring a very pretty try which ho converted, thus contributing eight points to Southland’s tallv.

Captain Wosney’s football was marked by soundness in all departments, and he was a particularly deadly tackier. In 1938 he was a member of the New Zealand team which was unbeaten in its tour of Australia, and after going overseas with the N.Z.E.F. was prominent in services rugby in the Middle East. Only last month he was a member of the New Zealand divisional team that defeated the South African fifteen by 8 points to 0, Wesney contributing five of his side’s points.

For years ho was outstanding as a diver, swimmer, and water polo player. A member of the Ex-pupils’ Amateur Swimming Club and of the Oreti Surf Life Saving Club, he gained a Do-minion-wide reputation as a diver, being runner-up in the New Zealand men’s diving championship on three occasions—once to R. C. ■ Calder, of Otago, and twice to W. Hassan. of Auckland. In 19J5 he was regarded by many good judges as rather unlucky not to win the title, and but for the fact that soon afterwards ho underwent a serious operation, championship honours would almost certainly have come his way. He was looked upon as one of the most promising divers New Zealand has produced. Wcsney was a fine water polo player, and represented Southland at this branch of sport until shortly before the war.