Born: January 16, 1881 - Hokitika
Died: April 4, 1963 - Wellington
Test record: 4 Tests (1908) - 0 points
Tours: 1907-08 tour of Australia and Britain
Wellington prop Hercules Wright captained the trailblazing 1907-08 All Golds tour.
Starting his rugby union career in the Wairarapa before joining Petone, Wright played for the New Zealand Army Corps team in South Africa while serving in the Boer War. He captained Wellington upon his return and won selection for New Zealand but had to withdraw injured.
Wright was one of the selectors for the 'professional All Blacks'' 1907-08 tour and was elected captain. He led New Zealand in all three matches against NSW (played under rugby union rules) and a sole match in Ceylon en route to Britain, while he was a tryscorer in wins over Huddersfield, Widnes and Keighley, and scored a double in a victory against St Helens.
An imposing figure, 'Bumper' Wright captained New Zealand in its first Test - a 9-8 loss to Wales - and in the first two Tests against England. He was part of the streamlined touring party that stopped in Australia on the way back home in 1908.
Wright represented Wellington in a historic match against Auckland in 1908 and Taranaki in 1909. He was named in Petone Panthers' Team of the Century in 2012.