Born: 22 December, 1882 – Dunedin Died: 21 November, 1947 – Auckland Test record: 0 Tests Tours: 1907-08 tour of Australia and Great Britain
Jim Gleeson’s roles on the 1907-08 All Golds tour was primarily as treasurer, administrative assistant to Albert Baskerville and part of the management committee, but he played three matches for the trail-blazing team.
The rugby union scrum-half from Hawke’s Bay had studied law at Sydney University and featured at halfback in the ‘professional All Blacks’’ second clash with New South Wales in August 1907.
In Britain, Gleeson turned out at five-eighth in a draw with Wakefield and centre in a loss to Bradford. He stayed in England to complete his legal studies before returning to New Zealand and playing an instrumental role in the establishment of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby League in 1911.
Gleeson also served as a New Zealand Rugby League councillor and as a Canterbury delegate to the NZRL.
