Roy Powell (New Zealand rugby league)
Roy Powell was a rugby league player who represented New Zealand in four test matches in 1935 and 1936 against Australia (2), and England (2) at halfback.
Further tragedy was to strike the family in 1916 when the eldest son, Horace John Mulhern was killed at the Somme on 2 July whilst fighting in World War 1.
[3] For several years after his death the family would have ‘In memoriam’ notices published including one on 4 July 1921 which read in part “Dear Jack, you are ever remembered and sadly missed.
[5] Earlier in the year Roy had lost yet another brother, Reginald who died by suicide on the East Cape in July aged 24.
[19] The match was played in heavy rain and the main field at Carlaw Park was turning to mud before Powell collided with the fence.
[20] Powell was fit to play the following weekend however and turned out in their matches against City Rovers and Newton Rangers before spending a few weeks back in the reserve grade.
[26] On 27 October Richmond were given the opportunity to test themselves against Australian opposition with St. George (New South Wales runners up), touring the upper North Island.
Then at the end of the season they defeated the Western Suburbs side who were New South Wales Rugby League champions.
Powell played a prominent part throughout and earned a place in the Auckland and North Island sides.
His all-round play meant a great deal to Richmond and he was responsible for the team’s only try through a clever movement from the scrum.
[43] It was said that “Powell was great behind the Northern pack, and right from the opening of the game he made repeated gaps in the opposing lines, and on occasion ran a trifle too far before parting with the ball”.
[44] On 9 September Richmond defeated Marist 20–13 to win the Roope Rooster for the fourth time with Powell playing well.
[45] Thomas McClymont was coaching the side and they won 35–16 at Carlaw Park on 15 September with Powell in “good form”.
He is now very clever on attack and scored a fine try against Western Suburbs… on present form he bids fair to rival the best halfbacks of the past”.
[52] By round 10 following a match against Marist it was said that "Powell was in top-hole form behind the scrum, deftly getting the ball away to Stan Prentice".
[56] Then days later on 10 August he scored a “very fine solo try from a scrum ten yards out [after he] caught the Mount Albert backs hopelessly out of position” in the Fox Memorial championship final.
[58] Powell was then chosen to train as part of a group of Auckland players who were not going on their southern tour to play Canterbury and Wellington.
Auckland had put up a good showing against a strong side and Powell “did his duty satisfactorily” behind a “sextet that was beaten for the ball”.
Powell was a casualty of the loss with seven personnel changes in total, and was replaced at half back by Richmond team mate Eric Fletcher for the third test which New Zealand lost comprehensively again 31 to 8.
[70] His performance was enough to convince the selectors (Bert Avery, Thomas McClymont, and Jim Amos) to choose him to play in the first test at Carlaw Park.
He was then involved in a passing movement with Wally Tittleton and Lou Brown who was pushed into touch a few feet from the try line.
Later in the match with the score 10–6 in favour of England Arthur Kay broke away to the halfway line and passed to Powell who was again “smothered” by Alec Troup.
Richmond did however have the ‘last laugh’ when they beat Manukau to win the Stormont Shield on 3 October by 30 points to 9 to finish the club season in Auckland.
[82] On 28 August Richmond sealed another championship when they beat Newton Rangers 30–9 in the final round to claim their third title, with Powell having been at halfback through them all.
They did however lift the Stormont Shield though Powell was not part of the side as he had stopped playing following their 6 August match against Marist in the penultimate round of the Fox Memorial.
[88] Powell had obviously retired late in the 1938 season missing their final 6 games however he made one more appearance for Richmond in round 3 in 1939.
The sides were composed of past New Zealand and South Auckland representative players with Powell at halfback.
[91] Later in the same year he was chosen in a team “to represent the New Zealand Rugby League Old Boys’ Association” in a match with South Auckland.
[93] Roy was working as a cabinet maker at the time of his marriage when he was living at 2 Sussex Street in Grey Lynn with his parents.
[94] The married couple lived at 18 Warwick Avenue in Westmere, a neighbouring suburb to Grey Lynn with that being Joyce Powell's listed address on the 1935 electoral roll.
