Bert Leatherbarrow (5 October 1909 – 18 July 1983) was a rugby league player who represented New Zealand in 1939 on their aborted tour of England becoming the 275th player to represent New Zealand. Leatherbarrow played in their second and final tour match against Dewsbury. He played ten matches for Auckland from 1932 to 1941 and three matches for Auckland Pākehā. Leatherbarrow played his club rugby league for Devonport, Ponsonby, Mount Albert, and City in the Auckland Rugby League first grade competition from 1931 to 1944.
Early life Bert (Bertie) Leatherbarrow was born in Prestwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bury Lancashire, Greater Manchester, in England on 5 October 1909. His parents were Albert Leatherbarrow (1872–1921) and Beatrice Amelia Underhill (1872–?) He was baptised on 4 January 1910 at Prestwich. The family migrated to New Zealand onboard the Rimutaka ship on 15 October 1912 when Bert was aged 2, and his older sister Beatrice Leatherbarrow (1907–?) was 6 and older brother Harry Leatherbarrow (1904–1979) was 7. The family lived in the Devonport suburb on Auckland’s North Shore with Bert and his older brother Harry initially playing football for the North Shore club through the 1910s. In 1918 their parents published a personal thank you in the New Zealand Herald for Albert’s “fellow workers, and all those who so generously assisted them in their time of need and trouble, especially Nurse Lawrence and Mr. Smithers”. In 1921 Albert died on 14 September “after years of suffering”. At some point after this the family moved to the Taranaki area with Bert attending Awakino School in 1923. They then returned to Auckland and were living in the Devonport area once more.
Playing career North Shore Albion juniors 1920s–1930 Leatherbarrow began playing rugby league for the Devonport United club in the mid 1920s. They were better known in their history as North Shore Albions but were named Devonport United from 1920 to 1936 after they merged with Sunnyside in 1920. In 1927 Leatherbarrow played for their 3rd grade intermediate side. In 1928 he played for the 3rd Grade Open side. During the same year he was fined 20 shillings for “failing to obey a traffic officer”. In 1929 he was still playing in their 3rd Grade side.
The 1930 season saw him still in the 3rd Grade Open team but there was also a Leatherbarrow listed in their 2nd grade side at one point in the season. He was now aged 20. On Saturday, 8 March, Leatherbarrow was caught speeding on the road between Papakura and Pukekohe. He was driving a six-ton lorry which was transporting horses to and from the races at Pukekohe. The lorry was only permitted to travel at 16.8 miles per hour but he was timed several times during the day at speeds varying from 25 miles to 31 miles an hour. He was charged at the Pukekohe Court in early June and was fined £2 10s with 10s costs.
Senior debut (1931) By 1931 Leatherbarrow had been promoted to the North Shore reserve grade team. His side won the grade following a 5–5 draw with Ponsonby on 15 August at Carlaw Park. The match was the ‘final’ as it was between the two leading teams though Devonport won as they had a one point competition lead. Leatherbarrow was playing with Albert Laing who later became a New Zealand representative, and several future senior players including John Harding, Arthur Saxon, Alf Smith, George Radonich, Horace Hunt, and J Hawkes. He was named in the emergency reserves for the senior side for their 5 September match with Marist Old Boy but the match was postponed due to the weather. The two teams played the following weekend but it is unlikely he played as he was listed 17th in an 18 player list. The established hooker in the side was R Masefield.
The following weekend Leatherbarrow made his senior debut playing in the loose forwards against Ponsonby in the Roope Rooster knockout final at Carlaw Park. The Auckland Star newspaper said that he was “always in the thick of it” amongst the rest of the forwards. Devonport won 34 to 17 with Leatherbarrow scoring one of their tries. It came when their captain Allan Seagar “ran to Ponsonby’s twenty-five and passed to Leatherbarrow who scored between the posts”. Later in the first half he “appeared to score” but the try was seemingly not allowed. In comments on the game the New Zealand Herald wrote that “Casey and Leatherbarrow played fine football among the forwards”. Two weeks later on 3 October he played in the Stormont Shield final against Marist. Devonport won 25 to 6 with Leatherbarrow said to have “raided effectively” with the other forwards. With the score 7–3 in the first half “a snap pass by Leatherbarrow allowed Masefield to go over”, although the Herald said that it was Hugh Simpson who scored after Leatherbarrow’s pass.
Leatherbarrow was then named to play for Devonport against the touring Eastern Suburbs side from Sydney, Australia. He played in the second row with Ernest Ruby, up against Max Nixon, and Joe Pearce. Pearce represented Australia from 1932 to 1937. Before a crowd at Carlaw Park of 17,000 the Devonport side lost 41–27. Leatherbarrow was mentioned among the forwards for “fine raiding” which “troubled the visitors and made things difficult for Billy Hong the Eastern Suburbs fullback. A photograph of Leatherbarrow appeared in the Herald, where he and Casey are tackling Ray Stehr.
His final game of the season was against the same Eastern Suburbs side on 21 October however this time he was named at prop in an Auckland Colts side. He was marking Ray Stehr. The Colts side lost 18 to 13 but were said to have gone well. At the conclusion of the season the Auckland Rugby League arranged a charity day to raise money for St John Ambulance Brigade which included a seven-a-side tournament with Leatherbarrow named in a ten man Devonport squad.
Devonport, Auckland, and New Zealand trial (1932) In 1932 Leatherbarrow became established in the Devonport first grade side and also went on to make his Auckland debut and also make a New Zealand trial side. He was initially included in the Devonport reserve grade team for the early rounds but on 11 June he was chosen in the first grade side and would remain in that grade for the rest of his career. In his senior debut match Devonport was playing Ponsonby in round 6 of the Fox Memorial Shield. Leatherbarrow was “prominent” along with Ernest Ruby and S. Casey. Early in the game Devonport attacked and he looked like scoring but was ruled offside.
He was named in the side to play Richmond on 18 June and then in the round 8 game against Newton on 25 June he scored two tries in an 18–17 win on Carlaw Park 2. He was said to have “played his best game to date [and] showed uncanny anticipation in the loose. His two tries did much to turn the tables on a greatly improved Newton side”. Midway through the first half he “picked up in the ruck and dived over”, then late in the match he scored following a “melee” near the try line. He played against Marist on 2 July and then there was a break in the club competition with the England side touring. Leatherbarrow, despite only playing a handful of games was chosen in the reserves for an Auckland trial match but was not required to play.
A week later Leatherbarrow was selected in a New Zealand trial match to be played on 23 July. He was chosen in the second row of the Probables team alongside Alan Clarke (Marist). Although the match was a New Zealand trial the teams were entirely made up of Auckland players with the exception of Edwin Abbott from the Waikato. Their second row opponents were Doug McLeay (Ponsonby), and A Hobbs (City). The match was played as a curtain raiser to the North Island v South Island annual match. His Probables side lost 37 to 16 with the backs playing poorly and only Leatherbarrow and S. Casey playing “good forward games”. Leatherbarrow scored a try midway through the first half.
The club competition resumed on 13 August with Devonport losing 19–13 to City. The Auckland Star wrote that “Leatherbarrow and [Arthur] Sowter in the Devonport pack were a good pair”. Early in the second half with Devonport trailing 7–4, Leatherbarrow missed a try when he failed to “gather a high pass right in front of the posts”. Despite the loss Devonport won the championship as they had an unassailable lead in the competition. It was their fourth title in their history following wins in 1913, 1914, and 1928. They then played in the Roope Rooster knockout competition though were eliminated immediately by Marist on 3 September. Of their performance “Sowter, Leatherbarrow and Casey showed out in an even bunch of Devonport forwards”. He just failed to score a try and was “outstanding” according to the New Zealand Herald. On 17 September Devonport played Marist in the Stormont Shield match. Devonport lost 15 to 8 with the play having to be stopped for a while during the second half when Leatherbarrow was injured near the halfway line. His final game of the season for Devonport came against City on 24 September. The game was between the two teams who secured the equal most championship points in the second round. Devonport lost 22–19 with Leatherbarrow said to have been an “honest grafter” with other forwards for the losers. When trailing 22–3 early in the second half he improved an attacking movement that led to Sowter scoring. Leatherbarrow was said to have been “perhaps the most outstanding” Devonport forward along with Hugh Simpson.
Auckland selection v Lower Waikato In late September, Leatherbarrow was named by selectors Bert Avery, Ernie Asher, and William (Bill) Mincham to make his debut for Auckland against Lower Waikato at Huntly on the Recreation Ground on 2 October. The match was for the Sunshine Cup and was a charity match to raise funds for the Sunshine organisation. He was originally selected in the second row with Ray Lawless though seemingly played at lock with Lawless and Doug McLeay in the second row. Leatherbarrow scored one of their seven tries in a 35 to 8 win. His try came in the second half after it was 5–2 to Auckland.
The following weekend Leatherbarrow was chosen to play in a Newton Rangers XIII which was travelling to Hikurangi, north of Whangārei on 8 October. The Newton XIII won 18 to 5 with Leatherbarrow scoring two of their four tries, with Trevor Hall scoring the other two and Albert Laing kicking three conversions. His final game of the season came in an Auckland XIII named “The Rest” which was playing Marist on 17 October. It was a benefit game to raise money for Trevor Hanlon a former Richmond Rovers player who had fallen on hard times while playing professionally in England. Leatherbarrow was said to be the best forward for his side along with Heck Lunn. In the first half he took a pass from Stan Prentice who had “burst through” and scored a try. Then later in the half he returned a clearing kick by Marist full back Claude Dempsey back to halfway which eventually led to a try to Lunn.
Devonport and Auckland (1933) In 1933 Leatherbarrow played 14 games for Devonport scoring seven tries, and five games for Auckland. His first game of the season was at prop on 29 April against Ponsonby on Carlaw Park 2. Devonport won 26–13 with Leatherbarrow among the best of their forwards. The New Zealand Herald also said he was the best of the forwards along with second rower Ted Scott. During the second half he passed to Alf Smith on the wing who used his pace to score. A week later in round 2 he scored a try in a 10–5 win against Marist while playing in the second row. He gave “fine support” to Hugh Simpson and Ted Scott. In the first half he “scored from a loose scrum near the line”. Then in the second half he and Masefield “relieved with a loose rush”.