WORLD RUGBY MUSEUM

1924 ALL BLACKS 'INVINCIBLES' JERSEY - GUS HART

The match worn 1924/5 All Blacks jersey of the tourists leading try scorer in Britain, Gus Hart. The jersey has originated from a collection of a leading sports promoter from the Llanelli area and is believed to have been worn in the match with the club in which Gus Hart scored a 60 yard individual try in an 8-3 victory for the All Blacks.

The All Black captain Cliff Porter remarked after the game "You gave us a harder game than Wales" (Wales were soundly beaten 19-0 at Swansea four days earlier). This was the last match for the tourists in Wales and they went on to complete the tour unbeaten with the record.

played 32, won 32, points for 838, points against 116

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Augustus Henry Hart

(adapted from the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby by Palenski, Chester & McMillan)

born 28.3.1897 Auckland - died 1.2.1965 Auckland

Represented NZ 1924-5, 17 matches, 1 test (v Ireland 1924) - Points for NZ 69 (23 tries)

First Class Record: Taranaki 1921, 1923 (Tukapa), North Island 1924, NZ Trials 1924

Educated at Sacred Heart College (Auckland) and New Plymouth Technical College, 1st XV 1916-17. After playing his early rugby as a five-eighth (outside half), Gus Hart switched to the wing when playing for the Tukapa club. A diminutive player, standing only 1.68m (5ft 6in) and weighing 62.5 kg (9st 12lb), he performed impressively in the 1924 All Black trials and cemented his place in the 1924-5 team by scoring 3 tries and a dropped goal in North's 39-8 victory over the South Island. Although Hart top scored with 20 tries on the British tour (including 4 each in the games against Cheshire, Yorkshire & Cumberland) he appeared in only one international against Ireland. Probably his finest try on this tour was against Llanelli when he gathered an opponents kick and ran 60 yards to score between the posts for Nepia to convert, giving the All Blacks victory 8-3

1924 All Black jerseys - We have identified three styles of jersey associated with the 1924 Invincibles from photographs and in person. In a pre-tour squad photo the players are wearing a jersey with NZ above and below the fern, in training they can be seen in a black numbered jersey with a white background, the fern looks to be more lateral and embroidered to the jersey. With the jersey used in matches the fern is more upright and is sewn on rather than embroidered. The number is small and white on a black background. A close up of several players prior to the England match at the end of the British leg of the tour shows obvious fraying to the edges of the fern.

manufacturer & label:	badge:	number:

no labels - internal quilting to shoulders - elasticated single ply sleeve cuffs	silver fern on patch added to the jersey with black cotton	white felt number stitched to black patch with white cotton. Black patch stitched to jersey with black cotton

WRM-0092-mmjyin.nz1924-hart3-WRMR

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