PAT CREEDY – KIWI #363

Southlander Pat Creedy was a regular at halfback and fullback for New Zealand during the 1950s after switching regions and codes.

Creedy represented Southland and Canterbury in rugby union, earning an All Blacks trial in 1953 before making the jump to rugby league with Marist the following season.

The 26-year-old broke into the Canterbury team in 1954 and the South Island line-up in 1955, before featuring in both Tests of the drawn series against the touring Frenchmen in the latter season. Chosen in the Kiwis’ squad to tour Britain and France at the end of the year, Creedy partnered the great George Menzies in the halves in the first Test against Great Britain before being replaced in the No.7 by fellow Cantabrian Keith Roberts following the 25-6 series-opening loss in Manchester.

But Creedy was recalled for the third Test at fullback, slotting five goals in New Zealand’s rousing 28-13 victory at Headingley. He filled the custodian role again in the first Test loss to France but Roy Moore returned at fullback for the remaining matches. Creedy tallied 24 appearances on tour.

The speedster played three games on the Kiwis’ 1956 tour of Australia but was kept out of the Test line-up by legendary goalkicking fullback Des White, though he was a replacement in one Test against the green-and-golds. Following White’s retirement, Creedy was the only fullback picked in New Zealand’s squad for the 1957 World Cup in Australia, featuring in all three matches as the Kiwis went down to Australia, France and Great Britain.

Creedy died in Wyndham in 2011, aged 83.

PAT CREEDY
NEW ZEALAND (1955-57)
9 Tests – 6 goals (12 points)
24 tour matches – 3 tries, 12 goals (33 points)
-1955-56 Kiwis tour of Britain and France
-1956 Kiwis tour of Australia
-1957 Kiwis World Cup squad