The first All Black try scorer finally gets a memorial
Thursday, 4 June 2026
For more than a century, Harry Roberts' place in New Zealand rugby history has been secure.
His name already sits in the record books as the man who scored the first try for a New Zealand representative side, years before the famous black jersey would earn the name that became known around the world.
Yet while generations of rugby fans celebrated the legends who followed, Roberts himself, All Black number 10, lay in an overgrown and unmarked grave.
As one of the first All Blacks he played seven matches and scored four tries.
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Roberts was also a Wellington Lion and played 20 matches, scored three tries and one conversion and was also a Canterbury representative and a Wellington Cricket representative.
On Wednesday, that quiet omission was finally put right with a plaque laid detailing his achievements. Rugby historian Mike Parkinson and Wellington Rugby’s vice president Richard Boag put the plaque in place. Also named is Roberts’ first wife Marion.
Boag said it would soon be the 150th anniversary of Wellington Rugby and as part of it, they were remembering those who had helped form it.
It’s the second plaque laid in Karori, Ned Davy, another pioneering All Black received his in March.
Roberts was part of the first New Zealand team assembled to tour Australia in 1884. Before departing, the side played a preliminary match against Wellington, and Roberts crossed for the opening try.
While the team would not officially be known as the All Blacks until years later, historians regard Roberts as the first player to score a try for a New Zealand national rugby side.
The achievement was only the beginning of a remarkable sporting legacy.
A gifted halfback capable of playing across the back line, Roberts represented Wellington and Canterbury and earned a reputation for toughness that belied his slight frame.
He was also a first-class cricketer for Wellington and, away from the field, displayed an entrepreneurial streak that saw him organise his own representative side to face the touring British team in 1888.
His influence extended beyond his own playing career. Son Teddy Roberts became an All Black in 1913, making the pair New Zealand rugby's first father-and-son international representatives. Two other sons played for Wellington, while grandson Bruce Roberts later appeared for a New Zealand XV.
Despite those achievements, Roberts' grave remained unmarked after his death in 1949.
The New Zealand Remembrance Army, working alongside Wellington Rugby, has sought to change that by installing a plaque recognising his contribution to both Wellington rugby and the national game.
Head of the Remembrance Army Simon Strombom said they had initially been looking for All Blacks who had served but also came across other historic players who needed memorials.