Harold "Circus" Owen Hayward (1883–1970) was a New Zealand rugby football player who represented New Zealand in both rugby union and rugby league. His brother, Morgan, also represented New Zealand in rugby league.

Harold Hayward
Personal information
Full nameHarold Owen Hayward
Born(1883-05-23)23 May 1883
Blenheim, New Zealand
Died25 July 1970(1970-07-25) (aged 87)
Thames, New Zealand
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionFlanker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1903–11 Auckland 33
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1908 New Zealand 1 1 0 0 3
Rugby league
PositionLoose forward
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1912 Thames
1912–14 Auckland 12 5 0 0 15
1912–13 New Zealand 14 7 0 0 21
As of 10 August 2012

Rugby union career edit

Growing up in Thames, Hayward played rugby union for the Goldfields sub-union and represented Auckland. His 33 appearances for Auckland between 1903 and 1911 were, however, sporadic – undoubtedly because he lived so far away from the city.[1]

Hayward played for New Zealand against the touring Anglo-Welsh Lions in on 25 July 1908.[2] He also made his sole appearance for the North Island in 1908.[1]

Rugby league career edit

Hayward switched to rugby league in 1912 and made an immediate impact, playing for Thames, Auckland and touring Australia with New Zealand that year.[3] Like Goldfields, Thames was a sub-league of the Auckland Rugby League at the time.

Hayward captained the 1913 New Zealand tour of Australia and played for Auckland against Great Britain in 1914.[4][5]

Return to rugby union edit

Hayward returned to rugby union after World War One.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Circus Hayward allblacks.com
  2. ^ Circus Hayward scrum.com
  3. ^ John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908–2008. Huia Publishers. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
  4. ^ HAYWARD, Harold Owen 1912 – 13 – Kiwi #75 Archived 1 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
  5. ^ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.