Mill, James Joseph ‘Jimmy’ b 19.11.1899, Tokomaru Bay.

• • Poverty Bay (Tokomaru Bay Wanderers) 1921(2), 1t , 1c;
  • Hawke‘s Bay (Napier Marist) 1923 (7) – 24 (2) – 25 (9)
  • (Napier HSOB) 1926 (9) (Hastings) 1929, 28g, 11t , 6c. 1p;
  • East Coast (Tokomaru Bay Wanderers) 1928(2)
  • Wairarapa (Masterton) 1929 (10) (Mast. OB) 1930 (6), 16g, 7t, 1c;
  • Hawke‘s Bay B 1923 1t ; Hawke’s Bay XV 1925 (3),1t;
  • Hawke‘s Bay-Poverty Bay 1921, 1t
  • Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay-East Coast 1923
  • Wairarapa-Bush 1930
  • Northern Maori 1924
  • NZ Maori (PB) 1921; (EC) 1922 (9); (HB) 1923(9); 19g. 10t
  • North lsland 1923-24-25-26-29, 1t
  • NZ Trials 1924 (2) – 30
  • North XV (in Vancouver) 1925, 1t;
  • New Zealand XV 1929. 1t
  • NEW ZEALAND 1923 -24 (22) – 25 – 26 (7) – 30 (2), 33g (4 tests), 15t, 4c, 53pts
  • Career: 118g, 50t, 12c, 1p, 177pts.
  • Halfback.
  • ed Napier BHS; Nelson C 1916-18.
  • Son of William. Died 29.3.1950, Gisborne.

Jimmy Mill  – All Black #267

Born in Tokomaru Bay, Jimmy Mill was educated at Napier BHS and Nelson College where he was in the 1st XV 1916-18, and represented Nelson in a second class fixture. Returning to the East Coast (then a Sub-union of Poverty Bay) he represented that Union for the first time in 1921. That year he also played twice against the first Springboks, for Hawkes Bay-Poverty Bay and for New Zealand Maoris. Jimmy Mill then toured to Australia with Maori sides in both 1922 and 1923, and made his All Blacks debut the latter year against New South Wales in Dunedin. He was now playing for the powerful Hawkes Bay side, holders of the Ranfurly Shield.

Mill was back in Australia in 1924, this time with the All Blacks, and he became the first string halfback on the 1924/5 tour of Great Britain, France and Canada, playing in 3 of the 4 test matches. His final tour was to Australia in 1926 with the New Zealand team where he played in all six matches.

Ineligible for the 1928 tour of South Africa because of his Maori blood, Jimmy Mill continued in representative rugby with East Coast and then Wairarapa until 1930 when he made his final All Black appearance, against the British’ Isles.

Standing 5′ 7″ and weighing 10st 12lb, Mill was a speedy, resourceful and clever half back with a lightening fast break on the blind side of the scrum. He scored 15 tries (and 4 conversions) in his 33 matches for New Zealand.

A sheepfarmer, Jimmy Mill was also a good enough cricketer to be a member of the Poverty Bay team which won the Hawke Cup in the 1918-19 season.

Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.