Billy Stead

Rugger
name = Billy Stead


caption =
birthname = John William Stead
nickname =
dateofbirth = 1877-09-18
placeofbirth = Invercargill, New Zealand
dateofdeath = 1958-07-21
placeofdeath = Bluff, New Zealand
height = height|m=1.73
weight = 64 kg
ru_position = Five-eighths
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs = Invercargill Star
ru_amupdate = 2007-02-11
allblackid = 832
allblackno = 105
ru_nationalteam = All Blacks
New Zealand Māori
ru_nationalyears = 1903 - 1908
1910
ru_nationalcaps = 42
13
ru_nationalpoints = (36)
ru_ntupdate = 2007-02-11
ru_province = Southland
ru_provinceyears = 1896 - 1908
ru_provincecaps = 52
ru_provincepoints =
ru_provinceupdate = 2007-02-11
ru_coachclubs = All Blacks
New Zealand Māori
ru_coachyears = 1921
1921
ru_coachupdate = 2007-02-11
other = yes
occupation = Bootmaker
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives = Norman Stead
school = Southland Boys' High
university =

Billy Stead (born John William Stead 18 September 1877 — 21 July 1958) was a New Zealand rugby union player born in Invercargill who played for the All Blacks in their 1905 tour. Stead also played for Southland, and later coached various teams, including Southland and the New Zealand Māori. A bootmaker by trade, he also co-authored The "Complete Rugby Footballer" with Dave Gallaher, and was a columnist for the "Southland Times", and "New Zealand Truth".

Playing career

Stead first played representative rugby for Southland in 1896. He was only 18 at the time, and continued to play for the province until 1908; raking up 52 matches for the province in total.cite web| url=http://stats.allblacks.com/Profile.asp?ABID=832 |title=Billy Stead |publisher=allblacks.com |accessdate=2007-02-11] After representing the South Island in 1903, he was selected for the All Blacks that year. [The All Blacks were not known as such until 1905.] Although he did tour with the team to Australia, he did not play in a test until the following year. In his first test was against Great Britain in 1904, Stead captained the side.Ryan (2005) pg 196.] He was again selected for the All Blacks the following year for their northern hemisphere tour.cite web |url=http://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/asp/container_pages/normal_menu/rmArticle.asp?IDID=150 |title=THE 1905/06 'ORIGINALS' |publisher=rugbymuseum.co.nz |accessdate=2007-02-11] Although he did not participate in the preliminary tour of Australia due to work commitments, Stead did play against Canterbury and then Wellington for the All Blacks.Tobin (2005), pg 24.]

Dave Gallaher was named as the tour captain, with Stead as vice captain. On the voyage to Britain, both Gallaher and Stead resigned as captain and vice captain respectively.Ryan (2005) pg 63.] They had both been appointed by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU), and believed that the players should have a say in the choice of captain. Although the teams' manager refused to accept the resignations, the team still took a vote; going 17-12 in favour of endorsing the NZRFU's selections.Ryan (2005) pg 64.] The tour was highly successful for Stead as he established himself as one of New Zealand's greatest ever first-fives.cite news |url=http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=134&objectid=10410022 |title=Who gets a 10 out of 10 at first five-eighths? |publisher=nzherald.co.nz |date=2006-11-10 |accessdate=2007-02-12]

Stead participated in 29 of the Originals' matches. Although he only scored 11 tries for the team, his ability to set up tries for other players was vital. Jimmy Hunter, who scored 44 tries on tour, said to Stead at the Originals' 50 year reunion, "Without you I was nothing". Stead was considered a master tactician, and him missing the Originals' Wales Test was considered a major factor in their only loss.cite news| url=http://sport.independent.co.uk/rugby_union/article324342.ece |publisher=independent.co.uk |title= The All Blacks: 100 years of attitude |accessdate=2007-02-12 |date=2005-11-03 |last=Hewitt |first=Chris]

Before the squad departed Britain for North America, Stead and Gallaher were approached by a publisher to author a book on rugby tactics and play. They were each paid £50 each and completed the book in less than two weeks. The book, "The Complete Rugby Footballer" was mainly authored by Stead, a bootmaker, with Gallaher contributing most of the diagrams. The book is regarded as one of the most influential in rugby literature.cite web| url=http://www.rugbyhalloffame.com/pages/gallaher2005.htm |title=David Gallaher |publisher=rugbyhalloffame.com |accessdate=2007-02-12]

After the Originals' tour, Stead's next All Blacks match was not until 1908 when he captained them twice against the Anglo-Welsh. After this he went into semi-retirement, but was persuaded to play for the New Zealand Maori in 1910. He played 13 matches in their tour of Australia.

In retirement

After his retirement, Stead continued to be involved in rugby as an administrator and coach. In 1921 he coached the All Blacks in two of their Tests against South Africa. Stead also coached the New Zealand Maori, as well as writing for the "Southland Times" and "New Zealand Truth".

References

Bibliography

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*cite book|last=Tobin |first=Christopher |date=2005| title=The Original All Blacks 1905-06 |location= Auckland, New Zealand |publisher=Hodder Moa Beckett |id=ISBN 1-86958-995-5

External links

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Persondata
NAME= Stead, Billy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Stead, John William (birth name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION=New Zealand rugby union player and coach
DATE OF BIRTH=1877-09-18
PLACE OF BIRTH=Invercargill, New Zealand
DATE OF DEATH=1958-07-21
PLACE OF DEATH=Bluff, New Zealand