Clarrie Polson
His siblings were Mary Ann (b.1880), John (b.1882), Maggie (1884), Eliza Jane (b.1886), Dennis Oliver (b.1888), Andrew (b.1890), Eric (b.1892), Arthur Paul (b.1894), Annie (b.1896), and Amelia Gertrude (1899).
[3] Clarrie's brother Dennis Oliver Polson who also spent 3 years fighting in World War 1 was also involved in rugby league and was the honorary secretary of the Ponsonby United club in the 1920s before his death in 1932.
[4][5] Clarrie Polson began playing senior rugby for Ponsonby in the Auckland club competition in 1919 in May, 2 months before his 19th birthday.
Polson was again picked in the reserves for the Auckland side against Bay of Plenty but did not take the field in the 27 September match.
In his first season of rugby league he was selected in the Auckland team to play the touring England side.
Auckland won comfortably by 35 points to 11 in front of 6,000 spectators with Polson scoring a try and kicking 3 conversions.
He scored a try in the latter match but he collided badly with team mate George Davidson who had to leave the field to be replaced by Frank Delgrosso.
Polson received a bad cut over his eye and later left the field to be replaced by Billy Ghent.
[23][24] At the end of the season Polson played against South Auckland in a 21-5 win at Steele Park in Hamilton.
[26] Clarrie Polson was selected for New Zealand against England for the second and third tests of the 1920 tour which was remarkable considering he had only begun playing senior football the year prior and not even in the rugby league code.
At one point early in the game the diminutive halfback "sat on the ball to stop a rush, and was pushed about ten yards along the ground and over the goal line" "in a sitting position, right over, and he forced".
[27][28] Polson's second match for New Zealand came in the third test of the series which was played at the Basin Reserve with 5,000 present.
Polson next played against Queensland also at the Sydney Cricket Ground and this time New Zealand performed much better winning the match 25-12 before 35,000 spectators.
Polson fielded a kick in his own 25 and passed to Charles Woolley who gave to Billy Wilson who went the rest of the way to score and give New Zealand an 8-3 lead.
Then late in the match Polson made a break up to halfway before New Zealand worked their way to Queenslands line and Wally Somers crossed to narrow the score to 21-16 which it remained.
Polson was involved in a movement with Thomas McClymont which resulted in George Paki scoring to make the lead 22-14.
[33] Polson's next appearance in the New Zealand jersey was in the second test against England on 6 August 1924 at the Basin Reserve.
New Zealand trailed 11-0 at halftime before a comeback and converted try on full time saw them snatch victory 13-11.
Polson had a hand in New Zealand's first try after putting Hec Brisbane through with Frank Delgrosso fielding a loose pass to score.
