Born: 9 November, 1908 Died: 3 May, 1976 – Ngāruawāhia Test record: 2 Tests (1932) – 1 try (3 points) Tours: 1930 tour of Australia
Waikato halfback Edwin ‘Foo’ Abbott toured Australia with the 1930 Kiwis and represented New Zealand in two Tests against the touring Lions two years later.
Abbott represented South Auckland against the 1928 England team before earning a national call-up for the trip across the Tasman two years later. No Tests were played, but Abbott played all 13 matches in Australia (11 at halfback, two on the wing) and his tally of seven tries included a hat-trick against Metropolis.
Following New Zealand’s loss in the first Test against the 1932 Lions, Abbott was selected at halfback to replace West Coast’s Richard Masters and featured in improved performances in the second Test in Christchurch and the third Test in Auckland as the visitors completed a series cleansweep.
Abbott’s nephew, Bill Deacon, played 14 Tests for the Kiwis from Waikato between 1965 and 1971.