Jim Laird was a rugby league player who represented New Zealand in 4 test matches (1 v England in 1932 and 3 v Australia in 1935) in the second row and at hooker. He became the 226th player to represent New Zealand. He also played club rugby league for Ngaruawahia (1930–32), and Marist Old Boys (1932-35). He also played for Waikato representative teams (1930–32), and Auckland (1933-35).
Playing career Ngaruawahia In 1930 Jim Laird was selected to play for Ngaruawahia's senior A team against Hamilton on June 21. Ngaruawahia won 22-5 and it was said that Laird, along with Joe Menzies, and Dare were “the outstanding home forwards”. On September 27 he played for Ngaruawahi in a Draffin Cup match against Huntly. Ngaruawahia won the match 12–10. Then on October 4 he played for Ngaruawahia against the same opponents for the Draffin Cup once more. Ngaruawahia won 3–0 with Laird said to be “the most outstanding player on the field”.
The 1931 season saw Laird playing once again for Ngaruawahia. On May 20 he played in a match against Huntly which his side won 11–8. He was then selected for a Waikato trial side between a Probables team and a Possibles side on July 25. He was listed as a reserve for both sides. On August 15 he played in the senior final for Ngaruawahia against Taupiri. Laird scored a try after a “fine” passing movement from his side, and kicked a penalty goal from halfway. Ngaruawahia won the match and the 1931 title by 8 points to 5. Two weeks later Laird played for a Lower Waikato side against Marist Old Boys from Auckland, a side he was to join the following season. Laird was listed to play in the lock position. He had been used in several positions in the forwards including prop and the second row. Marist won the match 13–11. A week later Laird played for Ngaruawahia in a Draffin Cup match with Huntly. He played in the front row of a 14–7 defeat at the hands of Huntly. Laird's final match of the season was in a trial at Taupiri to pick the South Auckland team to play the touring Eastern Suburbs team which was touring from New South Wales. Laird played in the front row for his ‘B Team’ but was ultimately not selected to play for South Auckland.
South Auckland and North Island selection Laird began 1932 once again in the black jersey of Ngaruawahia. His first match was for them against Hamilton on April 30. It was played at Hinemoa Park in Hamilton and saw Ngaruawahia run out 14-0 winners. Laird along with Joe Menzies and Huia Mason were reported as being “the best of a hard-working set” of forwards. On May 28 he played for Ngaruawahia against Taupiri and scored 2 tries in a 21 to 8 win. Two weeks later on June 11 he was part of the Ngaruawahia side which defeated Hamilton by 9 points to 5 and his form was good enough to gain selection for the South Auckland side. He was selected in the front row to play along with Menzies, Stephenson, Scott, Timms, and Jackways. They played against Northland on June 18. The match was for the Northern Union Challenge Cup by 15 points to 13 at Hikurangi before a crowd of 1,000. The North Island selector Thomas McClymont was present at the match to assist with choosing the team to play against the South Island. He then played for South Auckland against an Auckland XIII on July 16. Laird played well but the South Auckland team lost 29 to 13 at Carlaw Park.
Laird obviously impressed McClymont as he was selected for the North Island side in a forward pack which included Bob Stephenson, Lou Hutt, Charlie White, Tom Timms, and Trevor Hall. The match was played at Carlaw Park before a large crowd of 15,000 and saw the North Island side win 27 points to 18. It was commented after the game that “Laird was always in the picture” though overall the “North forwards were rather disappointing as a set…” The Waikato Times wrote that Laird had “justified” his inclusion with his performance.
Laird missed selection for the New Zealand team to play the touring England side in the first test. He was however pulled into the training squad for the second test after New Zealand had lost the first test 24 to 9. He had also been selected to play for South Auckland against the English side on August 4. It was said in the Waikato Times that he was “a splendid type of forward who earned praise for his game at Carlaw Park last Saturday, when his play, to many, warranted even New Zealand selection”. The match was played at Taupiri and the local side was thrashed by a strong English team by 64 points to 11 before a crowd of 2,000.
New Zealand selection and move to Marist Old Boys (Auckland) Following Laird's appearance for South Auckland against England he moved to Auckland and joined the Marist Old Boys club who played in the Auckland Rugby League competition. He debuted for them immediately playing against Newton Rangers on August 13 at the Ellerslie Reserve. He scored their first try in a 10–6 win. Laird was then selected for the New Zealand team to play England in the third test at Carlaw Park on August 20. New Zealand had been defeated in the second test in Christchurch 25 to 14 which secured the series for them. Six changes had been made to the side for the third test. Laird was partnered in the second row with Ray Lawless, with Alan Clarke at lock. Laird had replaced Lou Hutt who had suffered a compound fracture of the thumb in a match for a New Zealand XIII against England between the second and third tests in Wellington. New Zealand pushed England hard in the third test at Carlaw Park before a crowd of 12,000 and only lost 20–18 with England scoring a late try to take the win. In the first half with the scores tied at 5-5 Laird and Lawless were involved in carrying play from deep in New Zealand's end when they were on defence up to halfway with New Zealand scoring a short time later. The Huntly Press and District Gazette made a brief comment that “the two Ngaruawahia players, Laird and Abbot were very prominent in the play”.
Following the third test he played for Marist in their Roope Rooster semi-final win over Devonport United. It was said that Laird along with teammates, Flanagan and Iveson, were “always dashy in the forwards”, and that he and Iveson “were the best Marist forwards”. He then played in the final against City Rovers which Marist won 28 points to 8. A week later Laird was in action again for Marist in the Stormont Shield final against Devonport United. Marist won the match 15 points to 8. The New Zealand Herald reported that “Laird was perhaps the best of the forwards” in the match. On October 8 Laird played for Marist in a Max Jaffe Cup charity match. The trophy was supposed to be awarded to the team which came runner up in the championship but as Marist had finished tied for second with Ponsonby United it was decided to have a playoff for the trophy. Marist won 37 to 8 but Laird was hospitalised with a leg injury. He was taken to Auckland Hospital “to undergo an X-ray examination at the conclusion” of the match. It “was believed that Laird had injured a bone in one leg”.
Marist and Auckland 1933 saw Laird playing for his new Marist Old Boys side from the beginning of the season. He played 20 matches in total for them and scored 3 tries. Following a round 6 match between Marist and City Rovers where he scored a try it was reported that he was the best forward on the ground. He was selected following the match for Auckland's opening representative match of the season against Taranaki. Before a crowd of 10,000 at Carlaw Park Laird scored a first half try as Auckland jumped out to a 21 to 5 lead at the break before holding off Taranaki to win 32 to 20. The Auckland Star reported that “Laird and Lawless were the outstanding forwards, and were ably supported by [Cliff] Satherley and [Bert] Leatherbarrow".
Laird played four more matches for Marist before being selected to play in the second row for the Auckland clash with South Auckland on July 15. The match was for the Northern Union Challenge Cup and saw South Auckland hold on to the trophy with a 14–0 win at Carlaw Park. The match was played in horrible conditions underfoot with “most of the stoppages… due to mud in the eyes of the contestants”. It was reported that “the Auckland team played rather lifelessly, the outstanding forwards being Laird and Satherley. Laird was chosen as a reserve for Auckland’s matches against North Auckland on August 12, Hawke's Bay on September 2, and South Auckland on September 9 but was not required to take the field in any of these matches.
On September 30 Laird played for Marist against St. George who had finished runner up in the 1933 NSWRFL competition and were touring the upper North Island. Before 13,000 spectators Marist won by 25 points to 11. The Marist forwards played well with “White, Laird and Iveson … perhaps the best…”.
In 1934 Laird played 16 matches for Marist and scored 3 more tries. After round 8 of the Fox Memorial championship Laird was left out of the first Auckland representative match of the season. The New Zealand Herald reported that “the omission of J. Laird, Marist, and T. Hall, Newton, is hard to understand. Laird is one of the best forwards playing the code. He is always near the ball and is equally at home on attack or defence…”. He was chosen for Auckland to play against Northland on August 11. Auckland won by 19 points to 12. Laird was instrumental in starting a passing bout among the forwards down the terrace side of the field which “enabled Hall to score from a ruck in the corner” which gave Auckland a 11–10 lead. On September 15 he played for Auckland against South Auckland and scored a try in a 35–16 win. He had initially been chosen as a reserve with Satherley and Lawless in the second row but he played in the match after the forward pack was reshuffled with Satherley moving to the reserves. Laird along with Lawless and Hall “were perhaps the best forwards”. Laird's try came after “clever play by Cooke [saw] Laird following him through to score by the posts”. He would have scored another but “Lawless lost a try for Auckland through a poor pass to Laird”.
Laird finished the season playing in 2 matches for Marist. The first was against the touring Western Suburbs. They had recently won the 1934 NSW RFL competition. Marist lost a tightly contested match by 21 points to 19 on September 21 at Carlaw Park. Marist had fallen behind 13-3 before a converted try to Hec Brisbane narrowed the scores and then “Laird gathered a bouncing ball and, running fast for ten yards towards the corner, handed on to Smith, who materialised amid cheers”. Marist later took the lead however Western Suburbs scored and converted on the fulltime to win. Laird then played in a benefit match for Hec Brisbane who was retiring after a career involving 11 seasons with Marist which also featured 50 appearances for New Zealand, 5 for the North Island, and 15 for Auckland sides. Marist won by 30 points to 21 against Newton Rangers with Laird “prominent among the forwards.
New Zealand selection v Australia The 1935 season for Laird was incredibly memorable for triumphant and tragic reasons. He was to resume his New Zealand career when he played in all three test matches against the touring Australian side. However it was to be the final year of his career when a serious knee infection following the third test saw him spend months in hospital and it ended his rugby league career.