Charles Daniel James (10 April 1891 – 6 August 1917) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s. He played at representative level for New Zealand ( Heritage № 45), and Nelson, as a , or , i.e. number 2 or 5, or, 3 or 4.

Playing career

Kaitoa/Albion club, and Nelson representative side

In 1909 James played 2 matches for the Hornets rugby league team. Then in 1910 he joined the Kaitoa club and played 10 matches, all against the St Mary's Catholic Club. He scored 2 tries in a May 28 game against Alhambra and another in a July 23 match against the same opponents. It is likely he scored a good deal more than this during his seasons with them though the local newspapers rarely wrote detailed match reports. His form was good enough to gain him selection for the NZ team. Later in the season he played in 2 trial matches for the Nelson side which he was subsequently selected for. Nelson then played a match against the touring Auckland side. He scored 2 tries and kicked 2 conversions in their 24-13 loss at Trafalgar Park. In 1911 the Kaitoa club changed their name to Albion. He played 8 matches for them during the season again against St Mary's. He played in a Nelson trial match to gain selection for their Northern tour. He played in all 3 matches against Auckland at Victoria Park, Taranaki at Eltham, and Wanganui at Cooks Gardens. 1912 appears to be the last season that James played rugby league. He played a match for Nelson against the touring Wanganui side on April 7 followed by another match for Nelson against Wellington on June 8. Then he appeared in a club match for Albion against St Mary's with there being no further mention of him playing in any of the local Nelson newspapers. With the outbreak of war rugby league was no longer played in the Nelson area for many years.

International honours

James won a cap for New Zealand during the

1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first international tour of the Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia, and their first as the visiti ...

, playing left- in the 20-52 defeat by Great Britain at the Domain Cricket Ground, Auckland on Saturday 30 July 1910. He was said to have played well and his pass set up New Zealand's first try. He was said by one of the non playing English players to have been the best New Zealand back alongside Ernie Buckland of Taranaki.

Later years

James served with the 1st Battalion,

New Zealand Rifle Brigade The New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own), affectionately known as The Dinks, was formed on 1 May 1915 as the third brigade of the New Zealand Division, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. During the First World War it fough ...

during World War I and was killed in France on 6 August 1917.John Coffey and Bernie Wood, ''The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League'', Hodder Moa, Auckland, 2007, p. 39.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Charles 1891 births 1917 deaths New Zealand military personnel killed in World War I New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand rugby league players Place of birth missing Place of death missing Rugby league centres Rugby league wingers Tasman rugby league team players