All Football Codes Medals & Awards

Lot 2419    Day 2    All Football Codes Medals & Awards

Estimate $5,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

ALL BLACKS, group of nine medals to W.R.Fea, dating from 1911-1919: fob medal, hand engraved in silver with gold (35x33mm), English maker and hallmark, reverse inscribed 'O.U. Sports/30-8-11/W.R.Fea/2nd Sch.Boys Walk Hcp'; O.B.H.S. (Otago Boys' High School), fob medal, hand engraved in gold (9ct, 5.4g, 35x30mm), no maker, reverse inscribed 'Fives Championship/2nd in Gymnastics/1915/W.R.Fea'; another in gold (9ct, 5.9g, 31x28mm), no maker, reverse inscribed 'Gymnastic Champion/1916/W.R.Fea'; another, in gold (9ct, 6.7g, 38x27mm), no maker, reverse inscribed 'Athletic Champion/1916/W.R.Fea'; another fob medal in gold (9ct, 5.2g, 35x24mm), by 'S', reverse inscribed 'H.M.N.Z.T. Tahiti/Boat Athletic/Championship/W.R.Fea/1918'; another, fob medal, handcrafted in gold (probably 18ct, 12.0g, 35x25mm) set with a diamond on the reverse and inscribed 'S.A./1919', obverse with springbok and inscribed 'New Zealand M.S. Rugby Team/W.R.Fea'; Rugby Football Souvenir Medal, struck in gold (9ct, 12.7g, 29mm), by F. & S. (Fattorini & Sons, Birmingham), hallmark for Birmingham 1919, reverse struck 'New Zealand/(Winners Of/Army Championship)/V/French Army/April 19 1919' and inscribed 'W.R.Fea'; New Zealand Division/British Expeditionary Force, struck in bronze (45mm), by Spink, London, reverse inscribed 'NZEF Sports Control Board.Sgt.W.R.Fea' (M.B/1); also, fob medal, handcrafted in gold (9ct, 7.5g, 45x28mm), by W.J.Wesney (Otautau), reverse inscribed 'A Token of Honour To/Sgt.W.Fea/from/Tahakopa Residents/Great War/1914-18'. All with ring top suspensions, very fine - extremely fine. (9)

William (Billy) Rognvald Fea (5 October 1898 - 27 December 1988) was a New Zealand rugby union and squash player, and doctor.^^Born in Dunedin on 5 October 1898, Fea was the son of David Miller Fea and his wife Jane Scott Fea (nee Clark). He was educated at Otago Boys' High School, and studied medicine at the University of Otago, graduating MB ChB in 1925. He married Grace Flora Morrell Samuel in 1923. The couple went on to have three children.^^He was one of the household names of the early 1920's that continue to be synonymous with attacking Varsity rugby. A tactician and a dominating captain, he controlled the moves of the game from his position of first five-eighth.^^Although himself a corkscrew-running player, Fea imparted cohesion to the back line. His own play was notable for his quick cutting in and for the rapid, accurate passes with which he set his outsides in motion. He was especially strong in his attacking darts on the blind side after the quick heeling from the 2-3-2 scrum. He was also sound on defence.^^Fea was a member of the New Zealand Services team in Britain and France after the First World War and was also the youngest of the Services team on the 1919 tour of South Africa.^^He was a member of the Varsity A team in 1920-21-22-23, and played for Otago in the same four seasons. He represented South Island in 1920 and 1922, and was a New Zealand University representative in 1920-21-22.^^In 1922 Fea had the remarkable record of being chosen captain of Otago University, New Zealand University, Otago, and South Island teams. But his career had already been crowned in 1921, when, still aged only 22, he had been chosen in the New Zealand team for the third test against the touring South Africans. New Zealand had won the first test and South Africa had won the second. The third test-Fea's match-was played at Wellington in steady rain and resulted in a scoreless draw, leaving the three-match rubber even.^^Fea was not available for the 1922 All Blacks' tour of New South Wales and retired after the 1923 season to concentrate on his medical career.^^(Profile courtesy University of Otago RFC.)^^Subsequently coached the Timaru HSOB club 1926-30. Served as Lieutenant-Colonel with the 8th Field Ambulance during World War II. Selected the 7th Brigade Group team in 1942. He was the New Zealand squash champion 1936,37.^^(Profile courtesy Bob Luxford for the New Zealand Rugby Museum).^^WWI. 74721 Pte William Rognvald Fea, 40th Reinforcements, NZ Army, NZEF, embarked from New Zealand on RMS Tahiti, 10 July 1918.^^WWII. 631002 Lietentant Colonel/Military. ^^Co-author of 'Kiwi 49: 24th (N.Z.) Field Ambulance in the Pacific'.