IWI: Ngāi Tahu, Te Āti Awa

MARAE:

BIRTHPLACE:

1867-1904

RUGBY

His father, Raniera Taheke Ellison, was the son of Thomas Ellison and Te Ikairaua of Ngāti Moehau, a hapu of Te Atiawa. His mother, Nani Weller (Hana Wera) of Otakou.

His rugby career began in 1882 when he won a scholarship to that most famous of Maori schools, Te Aute. He began as a forward before moving to the wing. When he moved to Wellington, he played half-back for the Poneke club and established a reputation as an innovative player. At Poneke he developed the wing-forward position.

In 1899 Ellison married Ethel May Howell

In 1888-9 He was a member of the New Zealand Natives football team, a professional side, which toured Great Britain and Australia, Ellison finished the tour as the team's second-highest points scorer with 113 points, including 43 tries.

In 1893 before the NZ tour of Australia as Captain, Ellison proposed to the first annual general meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union that the team's uniform be a black jersey with silver fern monogram, black cap and stockings and white shorts. With a switch to black shorts in 1901 this became the now famous All Black uniform.

In 1902 Ellison published The art of rugby football, one of the game's first coaching manuals.

Off the field Tom Ellison became an interpreter in the Native Land Court in 1886.

In 1902, while working for the Wellington law firm Brandon, Hislop and Johnston, he became one of the first Maori to be admitted to the Bar.

Inductee to the NZ Hall of Fame

Provincial – 1885-92 Wellington (23matches)

National – 1888-89 NZ Natives 83 (113)

– 1893 NZ 7 (matches)

Played 117 matches (68 of them first-class games) and scored 160 points, including 51 tries.

A member of the 1888-89 Native Team. Tom was the Captain of New Zealand's first official rugby team that toured Australia in 1893.
Ellison proposed to the first AGM of the NZRFU that the team's uniform be a black jersey with a silver fern monogram, this became the now famous All Black uniform.