Eric Gordon Fletcher (23 June 1910 – 15 April 1996) was a rugby union and rugby league player. He represented the New Zealand rugby league team in 1 test against Australia in 1935. In the process he became the 239th player to represent New Zealand. Fletcher also played rugby union representatively for Manawatu province and the combined Manawatu-Horowhenua side whilst a member of the Old Boys and later Massey College club sides. After moving to Auckland he also represented Auckland in a sub-union match with Thames. After switching to rugby league he played for the Richmond Rovers club and played for Auckland, and Auckland Province. He was also a talented cricketer and played a handful of games for Manawatu in his younger years. After retiring from rugby he played representative golf in the Manawatu region and in 1939 played in the New Zealand Golf Open.
Early family life Eric Gordon Fletcher was born on 23 June 1910 to Sarah Isabel Fletcher (née Harkers) and James Fletcher in Kyeburn, central Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. He had an older brother named Lloyd James Fletcher who had been born a year earlier in 1909. Lloyd would later be killed in fighting in Tunisia during World War 2. His parents then had a son named Lawrence Neil Fletcher (b. 1912), Wilfred who was born in September 1913 but died days later, another son named Alan Logan Fletcher (b. 1914), and a fifth son named Keith Walter Fletcher (b. 1917). The family grew up in Palmerston North. Eric went to Campbell Street School and all the brothers attended Palmerston North Boys' High School where the feats of Alan, Keith, and Eric were well known. In fact on 17 November 1936 they donated a silver cup to the school to award for “senior club relay races”.
Sporting career Palmerston North Boys High School Eric Fletcher became a prominent and celebrated athlete whilst at Palmerston North Boys' High School. In 1926 he was the junior swimming champion at the school. He began playing for the 1st XV in 1927 and in a June match scored 2 tries in a 28–16 win over Old Boys. He played centre for them and on 15 June played in front of 10,000 spectators at the Palmerston North Showgrounds as part of the Winter Show events. PNBHS beat Te Aute College 6–5. His efforts weren't finished there however as he also won the “milk testing” competition with 84 points. He went on to play over 10 matches for them during the season including a Moascar Cup match against Te Aute College though they lost 8–5 to the holders. Fletcher, reportedly weighing 10st 2 lb, scored his side's only try after chasing a kick following a break.
In September Fletcher was selected for the Manawatu junior rep side to play Bush juniors. Manawatu won easily 26–12 with Fletcher scoring a first half try where he “badly fooled the defence prior to cutting clean through to outpace the opposition and score behind the posts”. It was said that he and Weston at full-back were the outstanding backs on their side. The 2 sides played again a day later at Spriggens Park in Whanganui and Manawatu won again though by 6 points to 5 this time with Fletcher crossing for a try in the corner. He was then selected to play in the same side against the Wellington juniors. The match was a curtain-raiser to the Ranfurly Shield match between Manawhenua and Canterbury in Palmerston North and saw Wellington win 6–3.
On the evening of 16 December Palmerston North Boys High School held their annual prize giving along with the Girls School at the Opera House. Fletcher, who was in his second to last year of school won the Tucker Brothers Cup for winning the high jump championship (clearing 4 feet 10 inches), the Whalley Cup for winning the road race in a school record time of 12 minutes 55.35 seconds, and the Old Boys Cup for being the senior swimming champion. He also won a medal for being part of a winning shooting team. Whilst he had finished 2nd in the 120 yard hurdles and 3rd in the 880 yard senior championship. On 18 January he competed in the Palmerston North Amateur Swimming Club's Carnival at the municipal baths and he won the Manawatu boy's 100 yard race in the intermediate division in a time of 70.15 seconds. He then went to Marton to compete on 20 January and won the 50 yard final, finished second in the 100 yard open handicap, won the dual relay along with “Miss Cameron”, and also won the 50 yard breaststroke. He was also a member of the Y.M.C.A. and over the summer he won their intermediate championship for the 100 yards.
In 1928 Fletcher became the captain of the school 1st XV. The Manawatu Standard reported at the start of the year that he was one of only two backs to be returning but was “one of the most promising backs in the Manawatu”. He was a regular try scorer for the side throughout the year. In their 14–9 Moascar Cup loss to Te Aute College he was involved constantly on attack and defence and scored a “beautiful try”. He injured his ankle in a game against St Patrick in July and missed several matches before returning to play against Napier Boys' High School in their annual match on 15 August. He played well but went off with his ankle causing him trouble in the 3–3 draw.
Towards the end of the 1928 school year Fletcher played for the 1st XI cricket team as an opening batsman. Playing in a pre-season match against a Palmerston men's side he scored 18 runs. Then in November he competed in several events at the school sports day. He finished 2nd in the 220 yard race, 3rd in the 100 yard race, and 2nd in the 440 yard race. He finished 2nd in the long jump with a distance of 17 ft, 10 inches, 2nd in the high jump, and he won the 120 yard hurdles. At the conclusion of the event he was declared the “Senior Champion” and won the Board of Governor's Cup. He had also won the road race for the second year in a row, along with the McSweeney Cup for fielding in cricket, and was again the swimming champion of the school.
Rugby union Old Boys, Manawatu and Manawhenua After leaving school at the end of 1928 Fletcher joined the Old Boys club in Palmerston North. He began the season playing 4 games in their junior side before debuting for the senior team on 18 May in a 27–20 loss to Feilding Old Boys on the main Oval at the Palmerston North Showgrounds. He was heavily involved in the match and afterwards the Manawatu Times reported that he had been “borrowed for the day from the junior grade” and “was the one player who was consistently solid in defence and attack. His passing was excellent and his kicking judicious”. His first try for the senior side came a week later on 25 May against Woodville. He scored the first points of the match after receiving a pass from Riddell and “raced over” with the match finishing 3–3. He scored another try in a win over Feilding Old Boys on 1 June and the Manawatu Standard said that “Fletcher is a great asset to Old Boys’ back line and if he stands up to senior play he should make a name for himself in Manawhenua football. He set a good example to the other backs in falling back when Old Boys’ line was threatened”. He scored 3 more tries against Athletic on 8 June. He would finish the year having played 13 games for Old Boys, scoring 5 tries and kicking 3 conversions and a penalty. In mid June he was selected to play in a trial match for Manawatu A at Shannon against Horowhenua A. In this period in Manawatu's history they fielded an amalgamated representative side with Horowhenua known as Manawhenua. Fletcher played at centre and kicked 3 conversions in a 15–14 win. The two teams met again on 10 July at the Showgrounds with Horowhenua winning this time by 18 points to 14. Fletcher kicked a penalty and a conversion for the losers. Following the match he was chosen in the Manawhenua side to play Wairarapa on 17 July at centre. On his debut for Manawhenua at the Palmerston North Showgrounds Fletcher played well but Wairarapa won 12–10 after scoring a last minute try. The Horowhenua Chronicle made note of his play when they said “Fletcher was remarkably sound on defence, his tackling being performed in a capable and business-like manner that left his subjects under no misconception as to the solidity of Mother Earth. He did not shine so much on attack as is usually the case, but when it is considered that he was playing his first big representative match, and that he was up against unusually formidable opposition, this is easily understandable. On his game, the quothful Old Boys’ star has certainly consolidated his claims for continued consideration”.
On 27 July he played a match for Manawatu against Bush. He set up a try for winger Page, while he converted a try by the other winger Strange, in a 14–9 win at Pahiatua. He then played in a practice match for Manawatu against “The Rest”, or essentially a Manawatu B team. The main side won 40 points to 8 with Fletcher kicking 2 conversions and a penalty. He was then selected in the Manawhenua side to play in a Ranfurly Shield match against Wairarapa at Memorial Park in Masterton. It was reported that he now weighed 10st 8 lb. Manawhenua were well beaten by 37 points to 16 with Fletcher kicking 2 conversions and 1 penalty. On the opposition was the famous Bert Cooke who Fletcher would later play with at Richmond Rovers after they both converted to rugby league.
On 24 August Fletcher played for Old Boys against Feilding in their final championship game. They had already secured the championship but they won 12–11 to end up 4 competition points ahead of Feilding (21 versus 17). A week later he played in a Manawatu trial match for Town against Country. The Town side won 24 to 9 with Fletcher kicking 2 conversions and a penalty. He was selected in the squad to play for Manawhenua against Hawke's Bay but was ultimately only an emergency player.
He did however get selected for the next 3 matches for Manawhenua against Whanganui, Taranaki, and Wellington B. The match with Wanganui was played on 7 September in Levin. He set up Satherley for an early try, and then scored one of his own in the second half by the posts before being involved in a try for Conrad. The final scores was 35 to 19 in favour of Manawhenua. The match with Taranaki was played at the Showgrounds in Palmerston North before a crowd of 2,000. Manawhenua were well out played, losing 15–3 with Fletcher missing two shots at goal. Fletcher then travelled south with Manawhenua to take on a Wellington B side at Athletic Park on 14 September. Fletcher kicked an early penalty to give Manawhenua a 3–0 lead before they fell behind 17–3 by half time. However they stormed home to win on fulltime 24 to 20. After a match for Old Boys against Kaierau on 4 October between the champions of the Manawatu competition and the champions of the Whanganui competition, Fletcher's rugby season came to an end. The match was for the Licensed Victuallers Cup and was played at the Showgrounds. Kaierau won 18–13 with Fletcher having a quiet game and mainly being called on to defend.
The 1930 season saw Fletcher again playing for Old Boys. He made 12 appearances mostly at centre, scoring 7 tries, kicking 8 conversions and 2 penalties for 43 points. In the first game of the season on 26 April he scored a try and kicked 2 conversions in a 26–11 win over Feilding Old Boys at the Showgrounds. Then 2 weeks later he played in a Manawatu trial for the South team against the North. Manawhenua were due to play the touring British side 3 weeks later so the selectors were staging trial matches earlier than usual in the season. Fletcher kicked a penalty but missed a couple of others shots at goal in a 17–9 loss on 7 May. He was selected in the Manawatu side to play Horowhenua on 17 May in Levin as part of another trial match. He was involved in their first try and had a try for himself ruled out through a forward pass in a 10–3 win. It was said after the match that “Fletcher, Riddell and Akuira, the Manawatu trio were distinctly preferable to Bevan, Westwood and Bull”.