Maurice Joseph Brownlie (10 August 1897 – 21 January 1957) was an international 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 loose forward, Brownlie represented at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national team, 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 until 1928. He played 61 matches for New Zealand—a record for All Black appearances that stood until surpassed by

Kevin Skinner Patrick Kevin Skinner (born February 25, 1974) is an American country music singer from the Jackson Purchase region of Kentucky. He is the winner of the fourth season of '' America's Got Talent''. Early life and career Skinner is from the ...

in 1956—and scored 21 tries. These matches included eight

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. He captained the All Blacks on 19 occasions, including for the 1928 tour of South Africa. Maurice_Brownlee_passport_application

Brownlie was a member of The Invincibles during their European tour of 1924–25. On that tour, his brother

Cyril Cyril (also Cyrillus or Cyryl) is a masculine given name. It is derived from the Greek name Κύριλλος (''Kýrillos''), meaning 'lordly, masterful', which in turn derives from Greek κυριος (''kýrios'') 'lord'. There are various varian ...

became the first man to be sent off in a Test match. Their older brother Laurie also made an appearance for the All Blacks, in 1921. All three brothers represented Hawke's Bay and played as loose forwards. Brownlie gave service during both world wars. From 1915 to 1919 he served in the

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was a brigade of the New Zealand Army during the First World War. Raised in 1914 as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, it was one of the first New Zealand units to sail for service overseas. The ...

, including two and a half years in the Middle East, and reached the rank of corporal. During the Second World War he served in No. 4 Squadron, Independent Mounted Rifles, part of the

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

, from 1940. Brownlie died in Gisborne on 21 January 1957, and was buried at Taruheru Cemetery. He has been inducted into the

New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall o ...

twice: as a member of The Invincibles, and in his own right.

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Further reading