Alexander James Ridland (3 March 1882 – 5 November 1918) was a New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player. A

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

, Ridland represented at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, in 1910. He played six matches for the All Blacks including three internationals. Ridland was born in Invercargill in 1882 to William and Margaret Ridland, both of whom were originally from the

Shetland Islands Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

. Ridland enlisted in the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

in October 1917 and embarked for Britain in May 1918. He was posted to France in September 1918 and served as a rifleman with the 1st Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He died in France on 5 November 1918 as the result of gunshot wound to the head. He was buried at the

Caudry Caudry () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Its inhabitants are called theCaudrésiens. The town is mostly known as the Capital City of French Lace (along with Calais). Caudry station has rail connections to Douai, Cambr ...

British Cemetery.

References

1882 births 1918 deaths Rugby union players from Invercargill New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players Southland rugby union players Rugby union forwards New Zealand military personnel killed in World War I New Zealand Military Forces personnel of World War I New Zealand Army soldiers Deaths by firearm in France Burials in France {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1880s-stub