George Hart (rugby union)

George Hart
Full name George Fletcher Hart
Date of birth (1909-02-10)10 February 1909
Place of birth Christchurch, New Zealand
Date of death 3 June 1944(1944-06-03) (aged 35)
Place of death Sora, Italy
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight 79 kg (174 lb)
School Waitaki Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Wing three-quarter
New Zealand No. 376
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1928–36 Canterbury 40 (126)
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1930–36 New Zealand 11 (21)

George Fletcher Hart (10 February 1909 – 3 June 1944) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A wing three-quarter, Hart represented Canterbury at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1930 to 1936. He played 35 matches for the All Blacks including 11 internationals, scoring a total of 28 tries.[1]

Educated at Waitaki Boys' High School, where he played in the 1st XV rugby team in 1924 and 1925, Hart was the 1931 New Zealand national 100 yards champion, in a time of 10.4 seconds, although he finished second behind American athlete, George Simpson.[1][2]

Hart served in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War II, rising to the rank of captain in the 20th Armoured Regiment.[3] He died on 3 June 1944 after being hit by a shell on the advance towards Rome after the Battle of Monte Cassino,[1] and was buried at Cassino War Cemetery.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Luxford, Bob. "George Hart". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Hollings, Stephen (January 2015). "National champions 1887–2014" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "George Fletcher Hart". Online Cenotaph. Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Casualty Details: Hart, George Fletcher". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 10 February 2016.


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