Clarence Alexander McNeil (6 August 1912 – 7 September 2001) was a rugby league player who represented New Zealand at rugby league in three matches on their 1938 tour of Australia, becoming the 262nd player to represent New Zealand. He also played one match for Auckland, one for the North Island, and two for Wellington. McNeil played his club rugby league for the Mt Albert club in Auckland (34 games), and the St. George (14 games) and Randwick (7 games) clubs in Wellington.
Early life Clarry McNeil was born on August 6, 1912, in Ohinemutu, Rotorua, in the Bay of Plenty. His parents were Winifred McNeil (née Patton) (1891–1973), and Alexander George McNeil (1884–1918). He had three siblings, Allan Leo McNeil (1913–1984), Albert Louvain McNeil (1915–1986), and Winifred Alice McNeil (1917–1995). Despite being born in Rotorua, he and his family grew up in the Thames area and had a farming background. In mid June 1924 McNeil scored two tries for the newly formed Karangahake Primary Schools Rugby Union's 29–0 win over a makeshift Paeroa Convent side at the Recreation Grounds, Mackaytown. It is unclear where McNeil was living in the 1920s however it appears likely that he had moved to the Ellerslie area in Auckland in the mid-1920s while still in his mid teens. A "Clarence McNeil" was injured in a horse fall on December 31, 1927, at the Ellerslie Racecourse. He was riding Master Doon when the saddle slipped and McNeil injured a leg in the fall.
Playing career Rugby league (Ellerslie), and athletics It seems as though Clarry McNeil began his playing career in Auckland for the Ellerslie United club in 1928 in their 4th grade side while at the age of 16. The following year in June he was selected in a junior rugby match between Hauraki and Wanderers. Presumably he was moving back and forth between Auckland and the Thames area. Then on April 10, 1930, a "C McNeil sustained a broken collar bone" when the horse he was riding (Salamander) fell while going over the steeplechase fences at Ellerslie. It was the second incident that day with the horse after it "came to grief" at a fence at the top of the Ellerslie Racecourse hill. Five weeks later there were two McNeils listed in the Ellerslie rugby league 6th grade B side. In 1931 he was playing for their 5th grade team.
It appears that at some point McNeil had been promoted and played for the first grade side as at the start of the 1932 season the Ellerslie club requested that he and 11 other senior players be allowed to play in the second grade. This had been necessary after their 1931 first grade side was removed from the competition with Auckland Rugby League restructuring the grade to have fewer teams to improve its quality.
On 3 March 1932, McNeil competed in the running events at the Ellerslie Athletic Club's evening sports event. He ran in the same clubs meeting the following weekend at the Ellerslie Domain which was the home of the Ellerslie rugby league club. And again on April 9 at the Ellerslie Reserve. At the end of the season, early in the following summer McNeil again ran in one of the club meetings at the Ellerslie Reserve.
Rugby union On May 10 McNeil had his reinstatement application to rugby union approved at the Auckland Rugby Football Union meeting with it then forwarded to the New Zealand Union. Later in the month his reinstatement was granted by the national body.
McNeil seemingly moved back to the Thames area and began playing rugby for the Netherton club. He played for their junior side against a Māori team on August 5.
McNeil began the following 1934 season again playing for the Netherton junior side and in their first game against Old Boys on April 28 he scored a try in a 9–3 win at the Paeroa Domain. A week later on May 5 at the same venue McNeil scored two tries in another 9–3 win over West juniors. He played another match for them against Hikutaia on May 12. In a May 19 match with Old Boys "McNeil made a good run" which resulted in a try to W. Johnson in a win to Netherton. On June 2 he scored two tries in an 11–6 win over West juniors at the Paeroa Domain. He was then selected at wing for the Paeroa junior representative side made up from the Netherton, West, Old Boys and Hikutaia teams. Paeroa won the match 5–0. He played for the Paeroa Junior side again on June 16 against the Hauraki Juniors at Waitakaruru. Paeroa won 22–14.
McNeil was then selected in the Thames Valley junior representative side for their September 1 match against Auckland juniors. The side was selected from the Paeroa, Te Aroha, and Hauraki sub-union teams. Auckland won 12–7. Soon after halftime with Auckland leading 6-0 "McNeil, Thames Valley's winger secured again and scored a pretty solo try". His final game of the season was for Paeroa juniors against Thames at Rhodes Park in Thames on September 15.
Return to rugby league (Mt Albert United) McNeil moved back to Auckland and in April applied for reinstatement to rugby league. It was approved in early May. McNeil was joining the Mount Albert United club which was playing in the Fox Memorial Shield first grade competition for the first time. The New Zealand Herald newspaper said that for Mount Albert "one of the wings is McNeil, a powerful runner".
He debuted for Mount Albert in their opening game on April 27 against City Rovers at Carlaw Park on the wing. Also in the side were current or future New Zealand representatives Wilf Hassan, Claude List, Gordon Campbell, and Des Herring. Mount Albert won 13–8 with McNeil scoring one of their tries. The Auckland Star wrote that “McNeil, who hails from the Otahuhu district, is a new winger of the right calibre. He has weight and speed and takes a lot of stopping”. The Ellerslie area was part of the Ōtāhuhu district at the time. The Herald said that “on the wing McNeil showed excellent form and plenty of pace. He is a promising player”. In their next match against Richmond Rovers on May 6 he scored another try in a 27–13 loss. The match was part of the King's Birthday silver jubilee celebrations and drew a crowd of 10,000 at Carlaw Park. It was said that McNeil “improved as the game went on, and was more than a match for his namesake”. This was in reference to Ernest (Ernie) McNeil, the Richmond winger. The following week Mount Albert drew 22–22 with Newton Rangers with McNeil scoring two tries. He “used his pace to good effect when the ball came his way”. On May 25 Mount Albert traveled to the Devonport Domain to play Devonport United (North Shore Albions) and they won 15–11. McNeil “at wing three quarter was always dangerous”. Against Ponsonby United on June 1 he scored another try in a 23–13 win. McNeil reportedly had “all the makings of a star, but needs more coaching”.
In Round 7 on June 8 Mount Albert drew 11–11 with Marist Old Boys with McNeil making “the most of the chances that went his way”. He scored one of their three tries. Bill Schultz played on the other wing for Mount Albert and they both “played dashing football”. He continued his try scoring form with another in a 27–14 win over City in Round 8 on June 15. The match was played at the Onehunga Recreation Reserve.
The following week on June 22 Mount Albert played the main match at Carlaw Park on the day that the new grandstand was opened. They defeated Richmond 5 to 3. Claude List played very well at centre and as a result Bill Schultz and McNeil “were better served than the Richmond flank men”. Of McNeil it was written that he “proved very elusive, and he shows promise of developing into one of the best wings in the code”. While the Herald wrote later in the week that “Mount Albert has a promising wing three-quarter in McNeil, who would score tries with reasonable opportunities. He is an elusive type of player with a strong fend, and several times last Saturday he beat many of the opposition and proved hard to tackle”.
On July 6 Mount Albert had a bye and they traveled to Taupiri to play the local side at Onslow Park. They lost 11–6 to the South Auckland (Waikato) champions with McNeil scoring a try towards the end of the match after their backs broke through and he scored in the corner. In Round 12 of the Fox Memorial competition Mt Albert had another draw, this time 8–8 with Devonport. Wingers McNeil and Schultz were said to be “up to the mark”. In the first half he “cleverly beat [Allan] Seagar and passed to [Des] Herring, but the last-named, who had a clear run in tripped, and a try was lost”. He was “easily the best back on the ground, and with better support would have been the match-winner”. In Round 13 their match with Marist was marred by a lot of fighting with four players sent off in Mount Albert's 18–6 win. Several of the Mount Albert players had moved to the senior side during the season prior and a “bad feeling existed between the teams”. Once again McNeil “on the wing, was easily the best back on the ground, and he often raced through the defence by running straight”. McNeil scored another try in Mount Albert's 17–11 win over Ponsonby in Round 14 on July 27. He “showed pace and sent nice in-passes when pressed” along with his wing partner Bill Schultz.
Auckland trial His form was such that he was named as a reserve for Auckland's twin matches with South Auckland (Waikato) and Taranaki on August 3. He was not required to take the field in either game. The following weekend he played for Mount Albert against Richmond in the final of the Fox Memorial Shield championship. The two teams were tied for the lead and the Auckland Rugby League decided that a playoff was necessary to find the champions. Richmond won the match and the title by 14 points to 9. Following the match McNeil was named in the Auckland trial match which was effectively a New Zealand trial match with the impending tour by the Australian side. The North Island v South Island match was being played on the same day as the main match. McNeil was in the 'Auckland B' team to play 'Auckland A' on the wing. The Mount Albert club asked if the Mount Albert players be released so they could travel with the team to Hawke's Bay. However they were told that the trial match was too important and they were to play in it. McNeil's Auckland B team lost 22-19 however he scored two of their five tries. He was involved with Wilfred Brimble and G Rhodes “in several nice movements”. He and his fellow winger Cliff Hall “played with plenty of dash”.
He then returned to his Mount Albert side which won their opening Roope Rooster knockout match 18–15 over rivals Marist. He scored a try in another spiteful encounter. Robert Morrissey was said to have played well for Mount Albert and was “well supported by List and McNeil in the backs” They were knocked out of the competition on August 31 by Richmond who beat them 20–6 with McNeil “nippy” “on the flank”. Mount Albert then beat Devonport 15–11 in the Phelan Shield and lost 11–8 to Ponsonby in the final on September 14. McNeil and Ken Carter supported their centre John Schultz well and were “capable supports”. He played in a friendly match against Taradale on September 21 and his debut season was over, playing 19 games for Mount Albert and scoring ten tries.
Transfer to St George (Wellington) in 1936 On March 2 the Mount Albert club held their annual meeting at the King George Hall in Mount Albert. At it McNeil was “thanked for his playing support prior to his departure for Wellington. After arriving in Wellington, McNeil joined the St. George rugby league club. The side contained other players who had recently moved there from Auckland including Dick Moisley, Ivan Wilson, Joe Cootes, and Lyndsay Simons.