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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