Andrew Thomas (Paddy) Long

This article about "Paddy" Long was written for 'Points Unlimited' (the magazine of the Assn of Rugby Historians and Statisticians) by rugby historian the late Rod Chester in November 1992.

I would like to introduce you to my friend "Paddy" Long. He wasn't really my friend as I never met him but I have lived with a mystery that surrounds him for many years and he seems like a friend. For those of you who don't know much about him I will recap on the things commonly known about him. He'made his first class debut for Auckland from the Newton club in 1902 as a lively loose forward playing in all three games that Auckland played that year. Every one was a home game and Auckland won the lot. After that he was selected in the North Island side for the inter-island match at Wellington in mid September. He scored one of the four tries for the North. In 1903 he was selected for the New Zealand team that toured Australia in July and August and enjoyed a top tour playing in ten of the eleven matches including our first ever test. He was the leading forward tryscorer with four.

On his return home he turned out for the North Island again before the New Zealand team broke up in Auckland then toured with the Auckland team. On the southern tour "Paddy" played in all seven matches and these were the last games he ever played.

What happened that this seemingly brilliant career came to a grinding halt. The answer was that in July 1904 before the first representative games of the season "Paddy" was found guilty by the Auckland Rugby Union of being mixed up in an incident which saw a City player offered a bribe by a bookmaker to arrange the result of a vital club match. At a special meeting of the Union on 8 July 1904 he was suspended for ten years. He sought to have his suspension lifted in 1906 without result and it wasn't until 1911 that it was finally lifted. As far as I can find out he never played rugby again. The only other information I have come across regarding him is a photo that appeared in the Herald in 1951 featuring a reunion of 1903 players "Opai" Asher, Long and George Nicholson.

Well those are the facts and the problem I have been left with is tracing his personal details. The piece that R.A. Stone wrote about him in his book 'Rugby Players who have made N.Z. Famous' did not help much. His initials are given by both Stone and Swan as A.J. and these also appear on the passenger list of the 'Moeraki', the ship that took the 1903 team to Sydney. However he was habitually known as "Paddy" and though I have perused 'Wises' Directories and Electoral Rolls for the Newton area - remember the District scheme that operated in Auckland from 1890 to 1910 allowed you to play only for the club you were residentially entitled to do so - I cannot trace a suitable listing. Likewise I have perused the birth registrations in New Zealand for the period 1874 to 1881 without result. At the other end of the scale I have checked obituary files at libraries without result. A few years ago in an interview with the 'New Zealand Herald' I used "Paddy" as an example of the difficulties researchers come up against and sought assistance from the public. A chap phoned and told me that "Paddy" Long was in the same ward as his brother in Auckland Hospital in 1960 or 1961 and he was sure he died there. A breakthrough I thought so I got on to the Records at the hospital and sought any details of any male Long who died at the hospital aged around 80 in 1960-61. Answer, no Long appears in the records meeting those parameters.

I then tried asking George Nicholson's widow through her son Jack who I knew through the Referees Association. She was able to give me the name of a chap who had known "Paddy" and I wasted no time in contacting him. No, he didn't know his Christian names, always knew him as "Paddy". Didn't know when he died but thought he died at the catholic home in Ponsonby. As far as he knew "Paddy" had no relatives. He apparently had never married. He didn't seem to know what occupation he followed either so wasn't a great help. I did chase up the catholic home in Ponsonby. As far as I could find out the Little Sisters of the Poor was the only establishment that fitted the bill but despite some extensive research by the sister I spoke to no trace of "Paddy" could be found there either.

The Auckland Rugby Union Annuals show that he first appeared in the Newton senior team in 1899 as P. Long. By 1902 he had become A.J. Long and a member of the club committee.

There are a few mystery players among those who have donned the New Zealand jersey but none as difficult as "Paddy" Long so if anyone who reads this can throw some light on this friend of mine I would love to hear from them.

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