Billy Stead

A bootmaker by trade, he also co-authored The Complete Rugby Footballer with Dave Gallaher, and was a columnist for the Southland Times, and New Zealand Truth.

Billy Stead was born in Invercargill on 18 September 1877,[1] and one of his earliest exposures to rugby was watching Joe Warbrick with his New Zealand Native football team play against Southland.

[5] Although he did not participate in the preliminary tour of Australia due to work commitments, Stead did play against Canterbury and then Wellington for the All Blacks.

[3][10] Before the New Zealand squad left Britain, English publisher Henry Leach asked Stead and Gallaher to author a book on rugby tactics and play.

[14] The book showed the All Blacks' tactics and planning to be superior to others of the time,[15] and according to Matt Elliott is "marvellously astute";[16] it received universal acclaim on its publication.

[17] According to a 2011 assessment by ESPN's Graham Jenkins, it "remains one of the most influential books produced in the realms of rugby literature".

[23] The tour generated a modest profit which was donated to a girls' school,[24] and provided the foundation for the continued existence of the side.

A team of rugby players assembled in three rows posing for a team photo
Billy Stead did not play for New Zealand in their fixture against Wales on their 1905–06 tour, and his absence was considered a major factor in New Zealand's loss. Standing on the far left of the back row, he is pictured here posing with the team before the match.