Archie Waddell

Archibald Thomas Waddell (4 September 1886 – 2 November 1972) was a New Zealand rugby league player originally from Hawke's Bay.

The Northumberland launch which was working at Napier, Port was stranded in a severe gale at anchor on 11 May 1887 and was unable to berth.

After Waddell finished his playing days he moved back to the Hawke's Bay Region and resided in Patutahi.

[10] In March 1910 Waddell moved back to Napier to spend time with friends and family before travelling to the Australia and South Africa then on to England.

[14] It is thought that his friend Jum Turtill persuaded Waddell to stay in England and play league.

Waddell's debut came in a match on September 3, 1910 against Oldham where he scored a try in a 16–5 victory “which delighted the Knowsley Road crowd.

The teams were known as Turtill's Toddlers and Waddell's Warriors and consisted of well known local business men and personalities.

[18] He made his New Zealand debut in the match against Auckland prior to their departure for Australia scoring a try in a 25-19 win.

[22] Waddell tasted defeat for the first time when he was part of the side that went down 13–26 to the Queensland team in front of a crowd of 11,146 at Davies Park in Brisbane.

[25] After the outbreak of war in 1914 Mr. W. Dervan received a letter from Billy Curran, an ex Marist Old Boys rugby, and Newton rugby league player, which stated that Waddell along with Lance Todd and P Thomas had joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

He recovered somewhat and managed to stay on the peninsula for another four months before “giddiness and deafness caused by the explosion had their effect, and he was shipped off on the Acquitania to hospital in England”.

[30] Following his playing career Waddell moved back to the Poverty Bay area and was balloted a farm at Patutahi.