imported>Smasongarrison: Moving from Category:19th-century New Zealand sportspeople to Category:19th-century New Zealand sportsmen Diffusing per WP:DIFFUSE and/or WP:ALLINCLUDED using Cat-a-lot

2025-04-12T20:56:20Z

Moving from Category:19th-century New Zealand sportspeople to Category:19th-century New Zealand sportsmen Diffusing per WP:DIFFUSE and/or WP:ALLINCLUDED using Cat-a-lot

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{{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = John Dumbell
| image = John Dumbell(All Black).jpg
| nickname =
| birth_name = John Thomas Dumbell
| birth_date = 1859
| birth_place = [[Bacup]], Lancashire, England
| death_place = [[New Plymouth]], New Zealand
| death_date = {{Death date and given age|1936|12|31|77|df=y}}
| ru_position = [[Rugby union positions#Utility players|Utility]]
| height =
| weight = {{convert|50|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| repteam1 = {{nrut|New Zealand}}
| repyears1 = 1884
| repcaps1 = 0
| reppoints1 = 0
| ru_province1 = [[Wellington Rugby Football Union|Wellington]]
| ru_provinceyears1 = 1877, 1882–83
| ru_provinceapps1 = 5
| ru_provincepoints1 =
| occupation = Public servant – audit officer
| family =
| spouse =
| children =
| relatives = [[William Henry Triggs]] (brother-in-law)<ref name="Father obit">{{cite news | url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP19231001.2.99 | title=Obituary: The Rev. J. Dumbell | date=1 October 1923 | work=The Press | accessdate=20 September 2014 | page=10 }}</ref>
| school =
| university =
}}
'''John Thomas Dumbell''' (1859 – 31 December 1936) was a New Zealand [[rugby union]] player. A [[Rugby union positions#Utility players|utility]], who played as a [[Rugby union positions#Scrum-half|halfback]], [[Rugby union positions#Wing|wing]] and [[Rugby union positions#Forwards|forward]], he was a member of the first [[New Zealand national rugby union team|national team]] in 1884.

==Early life and family==
Born in [[Bacup]], [[Lancashire]] in 1859,<ref>{{cite web|date=7 April 1861|title=1861 England Census|url=https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8767/images/LANRG9_2791_2794-0114?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=VFa9&_phstart=successSource&pId=23426067|access-date=20 May 2021|website=Ancestry.com}}</ref> Dumbell was the son of [[Primitive Methodism|Primitive Methodist]] preacher John Dumbell.<ref name="Father obit"/> The family moved to New Zealand, arriving in [[Wellington]] on board the ''Hydaspes'' in October 1870 and lived for six years in [[New Plymouth]] before returning to Wellington.<ref name="Father obit"/>

==Rugby union==
Dumbell played for the Athletic club in Wellington and made his representative debut for [[Wellington Rugby Football Union|Wellington]] in 1877. At that time provincial fixtures were infrequent and he played only five matches for Wellington between 1877 and 1883.<ref name="AB profile">{{cite web| url = http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=243 |title = John Dumbell | last = Knight | first = Lindsay | publisher = New Zealand Rugby Union | accessdate = 20 September 2014}}</ref>

In 1884 Dumbell was included in the first New Zealand team, which [[1884 New Zealand rugby union tour of New South Wales|toured New South Wales]] and played five matches. His first match came before they left for Australia, when they played a Wellington XV. Dumbell played at halfback in this match that they won 9–0. On 28 May they played against Cumberland County in Sydney. Dumbell played on the wing as they eased to a convincing 33–0 victory. The next match again in Sydney saw them up against Combined Suburbs XV, with Dumbell again on the wing. He landed a conversion to give him his first points for the All Blacks and help them to a 23–5 win. The next venue was the Newcastle Sports Ground where they played the Northern Districts. With poor weather conditions the New Zealand team battled on securing the game 29–0. The last game of the tour was against Western Districts in Bathurst. This was one of the tougher matches of the tour and at halftime it was only 4–0. They eventually won the match 11–0. Dumbell had ended up with nine points for the tour, scoring a try and a drop goal in the last match.

Weighing around 50 kg, Dumbell was one of the smallest men to play for New Zealand, if not the smallest, but despite his size he was admired for his speed, courage and willingness to tackle much bigger opponents.<ref name="AB profile"/>

After his retirement from playing Dumbell served the Wellington union as a management committee member, selector and representative referee.<ref name="AB profile"/>

==Later life and death==
Dumbell worked for the government audit department for 44 years, retiring in 1921.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19211003.2.28 | title=Valedictory: farewell to audit officer | date=3 October 1921 | work=Evening Post | accessdate=20 September 2014 | page=4 }}</ref>

Following the death of [[Edwin Davy]] in 1935, Dumbell was the oldest living All Black. He died in New Plymouth in 1936 and was buried at [[Te Henui Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite news | url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19370106.2.131 | title=Obituary: Mr. J. T. Dumbell | date=6 January 1937 | work=New Zealand Herald | accessdate=20 September 2014 | page=12 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newplymouthnz.com/CouncilAtoZ/CemeteriesAndCrematorium/CemeterySearch.htm |title=Cemetery search |date= |website= |publisher=New Plymouth District Council |accessdate=20 September 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Edwin Davy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[New Zealand national rugby union team|Oldest living All Black]]|years=22 May 1935 – 31 December 1936}}
{{s-aft|after=[[James O'Donnell (rugby union)|James O'Donnell]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumbell, John}}
[[Category:1859 births]]
[[Category:1936 deaths]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Bacup]]
[[Category:British emigrants to New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby union players]]
[[Category:New Zealand international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Wellington rugby union players]]
[[Category:Rugby union scrum-halves]]
[[Category:Rugby union wings]]
[[Category:Rugby union forwards]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby union referees]]
[[Category:New Zealand public servants]]
[[Category:New Zealand referees and umpires]]
[[Category:Burials at Te Henui Cemetery]]
[[Category:19th-century New Zealand sportsmen]]

John Dumbell - Revision history

imported>Smasongarrison: Moving from Category:19th-century New Zealand sportspeople to Category:19th-century New Zealand sportsmen Diffusing per WP:DIFFUSE and/or WP:ALLINCLUDED using Cat-a-lot