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Historical records matching Ernest Edward (General) Booth
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About Ernest Edward (General) Booth
As a player Ernest Booth, always better known by his nickname "General", after the founder of the Salvation Army, would have a special place in New Zealand rugby because he was one of the Originals who made such a historic, trailblazing tour of Britian and France in 1905-06.
As a fullback or three quarter, Booth played in 16 of the Originals' matches including the international against France. At the age of 31 Booth, whose provincial career had started with Otago in 1896, also toured Australia in 1907 appearing in the first and third tests.
Subsequently he moved to Sydney and played for New South Wales in 1908 and 1909. Whilst in Australia he captained the Newtown club against the touring Ponsonby side in a match described as for "the Australasian club championship" (won by Ponsonby 14-6).
A journalist, Booth accompanied the 1908-09 Australian side on its tour of Britain as a press correspondent. During World War I he served in the Australian forces as secretary in the YMCA.
But Booth's place in rugby history stems not so much from his deeds as either a player or critic. In the early 1920s the Southland union appointed Booth as a professional coach. In modern times that would be seen as normal but in that era of strict amateurism it was a startling innovation.
As a results of protests from the national union Booth's position was redefined and he was given alternative employment, but as he continued in his coaching role it can be assumed some sort of euphemistic subterfuge had occurred.
Intelligent and deep thinking, Booth appears to have ruffled some establishment feathers and his brief period in Southland was not without controversy. But he also had plenty of influential backers, among whom was then Invercargill based journalist, Morrie Mackenzie. In a book published in 1959, All Blacks in Chains, Mackenzie wrote of Booth: "He was the inveterate foe of obtuse and pompous officialdom. He insisted the game was for the players and officials were merely there to see that the organisation functioned smoothly...He made enemies. But he got results and inevitably little thanks."
Among his tasks as Southland's fulltime coach was regular visits to the schools in the districts and it is surely no coincidence that from his time many sound coaching and playing principles became embedded into Southland rugby. Many future All Blacks were discovered by Booth's work and within a short period Southland products such as Frank Kilby, Rusty Page, Lance Johnson and Brushy Mitchell were to become key members of national sides.
Profile by Lindsay Knight
http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=73
- Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jun 24 2018, 1:09:14 UTC
- Reference: Famous People Throughout History - SmartCopy: Jun 8 2020, 23:42:24 UTC
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Ernest Edward (General) Booth's Timeline
| 1876 |
February 24, 1876
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Kakanui, Otago, New Zealand
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| 1935 |
October 18, 1935
Age 59
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Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
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| ???? |
Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand
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