Brian Frederikson was one of the most valuable players in Wellington club rugby in the 1950s and 1960s.
His strength was his versatility. He could do it all and cover multiple positions if required, although he was predominantly either a halfback or first-five. He was a skilled kicker, both in general play and for goal, and was consistently amongst the leading points scorers each season throughout his career.
In 1958, as an established player and at the midpoint of his career, the Rugby Weekly commented on his game in depth.
“Brian Fredrickson seems at last to have struck his true form. Injuries marred his earlier career. He is a well balanced player, with a powerful kick on either foot.”
Another entry later that same season continued: “Free from injuries which marred his progress when chosen for the All Blacks trials two seasons ago, Fredrickson is this season revealing his true worth. So clever was his backing up on Saturday that he was always amongst the play.”
That same season, Fredrickson beat Athletic’s Russell Watt in the race to become the first player to raise a century of points. This included a 22-point haul, which included four tries, in a giant-killing win over Athletic in Mid-June. At the time, this was just a point shy of Ron Jarden’s record of 23 points in a match for University a few seasons earlier.
Frederickson played for and captained the St Pat’s Old Boys club throughout much of the decade and was also a regular Wellington squad member when he was fit and injury free.
Brian Thomas Frederikson was born in Levin on 17 February 1936 and attended primary school in his hometown.
He attended St Pat’s Silverstream between 1950-53 and was in the First XV in his last two years.
1953 was a vintage year for Silverstream, winning the McEvedy Shield and then the First XV winning all five inter-collegiate matches including 27-12 over Wellington College and 26-12 over St Pat’s Town, winning the WRFU Third Grade Championship and scoring 476 points in an unbeaten season.
Frederikson was halfback in this team, playing inside first-five Jimmy Taitoko who would captain the side the following year and go on to join Frederikson at the St Pat’s Old Boys in club rugby and on to higher honours. Frederikson was also opening bowler in the school’s First XI cricket team.
Leaving school, Frederikson initially started his rugby career in his home town, joining the Horowhenua College Old Boys club and going on to represent Horowhenua four times in 1955.
This same season he was selected for the North Island Colts team and from there the New Zealand Colts team that toured Sri Lanka, making eight appearances for this junior international side. He was in good company, with other notable players on this Colts tour including Sir Colin Meads and Sir Wilson Whineray.
St Pat’s Old Boys had won their one and only Jubilee Cup in 1949 and were still a leading side when Frederikson headed to Wellington and joined them in 1956.
Also continuing his cricket career at the club of the same name, he made an immediate impact on Wellington’s sporting fields and was soon picked up for Wellington represeantive rugby duty.
Thus commenced his decade-long career in provincial colours for Wellington, some injuries in the mid 1950s aside, and he would go on and play 44 A team matches for Wellington and score 81 points.
All Black honours eluded him, but he was an All Black trialist from 1956-58 and was a reserve for the North Island and a New Zealand XV team that played Canterbury in 1957.
Throughout his career, he played in many big matches and was involved in several famous moments for Wellington.
Perhaps his biggest win of his career, at least one that will always be remembered, was in his final year playing for Wellington in 1965 when the touring Springboks came to town to play Wellington.
Frederikson and the Wellington team celebrate their win over South Africa in 1965.
Frederikson was first-five for Wellington, playing outside Marist Old Boys halfback and future MSP coach Brian Coulter.
The boot of University fullback Mick Wiliment helped Wellington to a 12-3 lead. South Africa closed the gap early with a second penalty early in the second half, but Wellington’s pack was firing on all cylinders and they couldn’t make any more inroads. Instead, Wellington sealed victory with a pair of penalties to Frederikson himself and the home side celebrated a famous 23-6 win.
This final season was his most prolific for Wellington, making 13 appearances. The previous year he had made 12, while 1958 was his next most fruitful season playing for Wellington when he appeared nine times for the province. 1958 was a patchy year for Wellington teams, but a 6-6 draw with Taranaki was the closest Frederikson would come personally to winning the Ranfurly Shield, having not played in earlier challenges/defences in 1956 and 1957 with Alby Makeham then the halfback and Jackie Dougan and Doug Wilson the preferred first fives.
Frederikson continued playing for St Pat’s Old Boys for the remainder of his career to 1966. The club would never reach the same heights as it at in the years immediately following the end of the war, but SPOB were always good for pushing sides hard and springing surprises – especially against rivals Marist who won or shared the Jubilee Cup from 1962-64.
One example was on 1 May 1965 when Marist pipped SPOB 19-18 in a Father Cleary Shield thriller at Athletic Park. Marist scored four tries, while all of SPOB’s points came via the he boot of Frederikson.
Frederikson’s involvement in rugby continued after retirement, as a coach and an administrator.
He was on the WRFU’s Junior Advisory Committee 1971-75.
He was a WRFU Management Committee Member from 1976-88 and was the WRFU’s delegate to the NZRU 1985-88.
He was Wellington Lions manager for nine seasons, alongside coach Ian Upston, and was manager when the Lions did the National Provincial Championship – Ranfurly Double in 1981.
Frederikson highlighted as manager of the successful Wellington team of 1981.
He was a Marist St Pat’s club Management Committee Member 1971-82 and again 1985-86, and was MSP’s President in 1992-93.
Frederikson was made a Life Member by the WRFU in 2005.
REFERENCES
Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016
Donoghue, Tim, and Kelly, Dan. Battling On. The 25 year story of the Marist St Pat’s Rugby Football Club. MSP, 1994.
Rugby Weekly – various editions 1950s
Veysey, Alex and Fox, Bob. Wellington’s Rugby History 1951-1979, Part 2. Tolan Printing Co, 1979.
Wellington v South Africa 1965 – previous article on this website https://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/story.php?id=1402
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