Herman Mattson
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 Mattson in 1925 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Herman Alfred Mattson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 4 November 1900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 6 July 1980 (aged 79) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Seddon Memorial Technical College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Banker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Herman Alfred Mattson (4 November 1900 – 6 July 1980) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and three-quarter, Mattson represented Auckland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, on their 1925 tour of New South Wales.[1]
Early life
[edit]Born in Auckland on 4 November 1900, Mattson was the son of Kate Seagar Mattson and Herman Matthias Mattson.[1][2] He was educated at Seddon Memorial Technical College, where he passed the Public Service entrance course in English composition and literature in 1916.[1][3]
Rugby union career
[edit]Mattson joined Ponsonby RFC in 1916, and was a member of their club side that won three consecutive junior Auckland championship titles, in 1919, 1920 and 1921. He made his provincial debut for Auckland in 1922, playing in four matches, but he missed the following two seasons due to injury; a knee injury in 1923 and a broken jaw the next year.[1]
In 1925, with none of the members of "The Invincibles" that toured the British Isles and France in 1924–1925 considered for selection, Mattson was picked for the All Blacks team to tour New South Wales after showing good form at club level. He played six matches for the All Blacks on that tour, including all three of the games against New South Wales,[1] where Sydney papers described him as "brilliant".[4][5] He scored his only points for the All Blacks, a try, in the tourists' first match, against Wellington at Athletic Park before their departure for Australia.[1][6][7]
After the tour to New South Wales, Mattson played a further five games for Auckland. In a match against Canterbury, he scored four tries, which as of 2024 remains the most tries scored by an Auckland player against Canterbury. The feat has been equalled by Bernie Fraser and Joeli Vidiri, but not surpassed.[1]
After playing "several brilliant games on the wing" for Ponsonby in 1925, Mattson temporarily retired from rugby in 1926 because of his old knee injury.[8] After two seasons off, Mattson returned to Ponsonby, but he broke his collarbone in his first reappearance on 28 April 1928 at a match at Eden Park.[9] He retained an interest in rugby, serving as treasurer of the Ponsonby club and inaugural president of the Ponsonby Old Boys' Association.[1]
Later life and death
[edit]Mattson worked as a banker at the National Bank of New Zealand. Described as having "a rough, gruff exterior and a heart of gold", he was known for his compassionate treatment of less-fortunate customers, including refugees from Europe following World War II.[1] He served on the executive council of the New Zealand Bank Officers' Guild.[10]
Mattson married Florence Mabel Ardern on 30 June 1926.[11] He died in Auckland on 6 July 1980.[12] His wife died in Queensland, Australia, in 1993.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Herman Mattson". New Zealand Rugby. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Birth search: registration number 1900/12251". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Technical education". Auckland Star. Vol. 47, no. 305. 22 December 1916. p. 9. Retrieved 15 February 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "All Blacks' Tour. Comments on Test. Team for tomorrow". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney, NSW. 16 June 1925. p. 6. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ K.C.W. (19 June 1925). "N.S.W. Confident In Test Against N.Z. What Wednesday's Game Revealed". The Sun. Sydney, NSW. p. 5. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "All Blacks vs Wellington". New Zealand Rugby. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Big football". Manawatu Standard. Vol. 45, no. 155. 4 June 1925. p. 7. Retrieved 15 February 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Auckland rugby". The Star. No. 17816. 9 April 1926. p. 10. Retrieved 10 February 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "Football casualties". Auckland Star. Vol. 59, no. 100. 30 April 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 10 February 2025 – via PapersPast.
- ^ "New Zealand Bank Officers' Guild Inc, twentieth conference – photograph taken by S P Andrew & Sons". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Marriage search: registration number 1926/3731". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Herman Alfred Mattson". Purewa Cemetery & Crematorium. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Death registration: Florence Mabel Mattson". Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 February 2025.