 James Allan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 September 1860 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Taieri, Otago, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 2 September 1934 (aged 73) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Hāwera, Taranaki, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Otago Boys' High | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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James Allan (11 September 1860, in East Taieri, New Zealand – 2 September 1934, in Hāwera, New Zealand[1][2]) was a New Zealand rugby union player who played eight games for the All Blacks, the New Zealand national rugby union team, and was nicknamed the Taieri Giant.[1][2] Allan played in the first match contested by the New Zealand team, and the New Zealand Rugby Union regard him as the first ever All Black.[3]
Allan played as a forward and played six seasons for his province Otago, from 1881 to 1886.[1] Allan's eight All Black appearances came on the 1884 New Zealand rugby union tour of New South Wales on which he scored three tries.[1] He was one of New Zealand's most valuable players. on the tour, where he played eight of the All Blacks' nine games – all played over 23 days.[1]
Allan was highly regarded as a forward with contemporary reports saying he was "consistently in the vanguard".[1] Allan was also reported to be never far away from the ball along with being as "hard as nails".[1] During his playing career at Otago, Allan became a distinguished player for the province. He had three other brothers who represented Otago.[1][2]
Allan was a pupil of Otago Boys' High School.[1][4][2]