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Jack Hemi

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Jack Hemi
Hemi in 1935
Personal information
Full nameJack Raharuhi Hemi
Born(1914-08-23)23 August 1914
Te Whiti-o-Tutāwake, Wairarapa, New Zealand
Died1 June 1996(1996-06-01) (aged 81)
Carterton, New Zealand
Playing information
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight13 st (83 kg)
Rugby union
PositionFullback, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1933 Gladstone 1 0 2 0 5
1933–34 Featherston 11 5 11 1 48
1935–36 Gladstone 9 4 21 0 56
1936 Masterton (guest) 1 0 0 0 0
Total 22 9 34 1 109
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1933–1934 Wairarapa 14 2 30 0 77
1934 Wairarapa Trials 2 1 2 0 7
1934–35 New Zealand Māori 14 3 35 0 88
1935 North Māori 1 0 3 0 6
1935 Wellington-Wairarapa 1 0 5 1 15
Rugby league
PositionFullback, Stand-off, Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
193643 Manukau 104 35 298 6 709
1944 Hokowhitu 2 0 5 0 10
1945 Randwick 2 0 11 0 22
Total 108 35 314 6 741
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1936 Auckland A 1 0 0 0 0
193643 Auckland Māori (Tamaki) 12 5 24 0 63
1936–39 New Zealand 10 (1) 1 42 0 87
1937–1946 New Zealand Māori 2 0 1 0 2
193841 Auckland 2 0 5 0 10
1945–47 Wellington 5 0 5 1 12
Source: [1][2]

Jack Raharuhi Hemi (23 August 1914 – 1 June 1996) was a New Zealand rugby union and league player. He was born in Te Poho-o-Tutawake, Wairarapa, New Zealand on 23 August 1914.[3]

Early years

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Jack Hemi was the oldest son of Hineipikitia-ki-te-rangi (Piki) Reiri, of Te Whiti, and her husband, Paraikete (Blanket) Hēmi. There were thirteen children in the family. Hemi attended Te Whiti School. He worked at a freezing works and, when his father died in 1936, Hemi assumed responsibility for his mother and four siblings.[3] Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitane iwi.

Rugby union career

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Hemi played rugby union for the Gladstone club before moving to the Featherston club and first represented Wairarapa in 1933, aged only 18. He played for New Zealand Māori in 1934 and toured Australia with the team in 1935. He was also an All Blacks trialist in 1935.[3]

Rugby league career

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In 1936 Hemi switched codes, joining the new Manukau rugby league club in the Auckland Rugby League competition.[4] He represented New Zealand that year against Great Britain and also played for Auckland.[4][5] He represented New Zealand Māori in 1937, being part of the team that defeated Australia 16–5 at Carlaw Park.[6]

He toured Australia in 1938, slotting a goal against Queensland from 17 yards behind the halfway line. Hemi toured Great Britain in 1939, but World War II ended the tour without a test match being played.[3] Exempt from War duty Hemi continued to play for Manukau.[4] In 1941 he scored 206 points for Manukau in all competition matches which was comfortably a record in Auckland Rugby League senior football to that point. He scored 12 tries, and kicked 59 conversions along with 26 penalties during the season.

In 1945 he represented Wellington alongside his younger brother, Lou.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Papers Past". Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Jack Hemi". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Hemi, M. A. (1998). "Jack Raharuhi Hemi". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Coffey, John and Wood, Bernie (2009) Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
  5. ^ HEMI, Jack Raharuhi – 1936 – 39 nzleague.co.nz
  6. ^ Coffey, John. Canterbury XIII, Christchurch, 1987.