Leslie_Frank_Cupples_passport_application

Leslie Frank Cupples (8 February 1898 – 10 August 1972) 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 it ...

player. A loose forward, Cupples 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, ...

, from 1922 to 1925. He played 29 matches for the All Blacks including two internationals, scoring six tries in all. Cupples was almost certainly the only member of the Exclusive Brethren sect to play for the All Blacks. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Cupples served with the

New Zealand Medical Corps New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

in Egypt and on the Western Front, rising to the rank of corporal. He was attached to the No. 2 Field Ambulance, and in 1917 was awarded the

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

. Cupples farmed on Cambridge Rd near Hanlin Rd. He was particularly proud of his belted Galloway cattle. Cupples died in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

on 10 August 1972, and was buried at Hautapu Cemetery,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

References

1898 births 1972 deaths People from Otautau New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players Bay of Plenty rugby union players Rugby union flankers New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand recipients of the Military Medal Burials at Hautapu Cemetery Rugby union players from Southland, New Zealand {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1890s-stub