Personal information
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Full name | William Henry Clifton Mackrell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Milton, New South Wales, Australia |
20 July 1881|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 15 July 1917 Auckland, Auckland Region, New Zealand |
(aged 35)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information
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Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 79 kg (12 st 6 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union
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Position | Hooker, Back row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league
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Position | Hooker, Second-row | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: RLP
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William "Bill" Henry Clifton Mackrell was a New Zealand rugby footballer who represented his country in both rugby union and rugby league. He was part of the 1905 The Original All Blacks tour and the professional 1907-1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.
Mackrell was a printer by trade.
Mackrell began playing rugby union for the City Newton club. He represented Auckland between 1901 and 1905 and earned North Island selection in 1905. His last first class rugby union match in New Zealand was for Auckland against the All Blacks in 1905 as they prepared for a short tour of Australia.
Mackrell was then selected to be part of The Original All Blacks 1905 tour of Great Britain and France but injury hampered his tour and he played in only one test match, against France in Paris on New Years Day, 1906. On his return he was replaced in the Auckland side by Charlie Dunning.
Mackrell, along with Newton team mates Harold Rowe and William Trevarthan, was selected for the professional All Blacks in their 1907-1908 tour of Great Britain and Australia. As a result, he received a life ban from the New Zealand Rugby Union. He played in two test matches on the tour, including the first ever rugby league test match against Wales on New Years Day, 1908. He played in the first ever trans-Tasman test which was the debut match of the Australia national rugby league team.