Ōhaupō rugby team 1966 - Andy Bell is middle row, fourth from left.
Waikato rugby #551 Andrew “Andy” Alfred Bell grew up in the Ōhaupō area and has a strong family connection to the wider Te Awamutu region.
Eventually part of a family of seven, Andy was born in Te Awamutu in May 1943. He grew up on the family farm and attended the local primary school.
The 20ha block, run by dad Clarry, was on the corner of Singh and Ryburn Rds and went right down to Forkert Rd.
Andy’s first rugby memory was playing barefoot at the annual Ngāhinapouri interschool sports days – an event that still takes place.
From 1957 to 1960, he was educated at Te Awamutu College, where he would bike 11km into town for his rugby games.
Andy played for the fifth XV in his first year at college, followed by two years in the second XV. He was always a fullback.
“It wasn’t until I made the second XV that Dad started taking an interest. Everything was the farm as far as he was concerned, but that was our livelihood.”
Andy and his siblings started farm work at a young age, with one brother spending 12 months working there full-time after leaving school.
“I said [to Dad], ‘if you want me to milk, I can milk and go back to school’, because I wanted to play first XV. So I went back and did the sixth form.”
Andy remembers clashes against Hamilton Boys’ High School, Auckland Grammar and Mt Roskill but Bombay Hills-based St Stephen’s School was the hardest of all.
“St Stephen’s couldn’t get games because they’d beat all the Auckland schools, and we actually beat them.”
After leaving school, Bell started a five-year electrical apprenticeship at the Clarence St, Hamilton-based Post Office workshops.
The following year saw Andy put on his local Ōhaupō rugby club colours, as “it was part of the district. It seemed you just went from school rugby to Ōhaupō”.
Playing first XV had paid off, as Waikato Juniors selector John Hogan selected Andy for the 1961 side based on his college rugby form. He was selected again for the 1962 team.
“The local sub-union delegate, Frank O’Connor, approached Dad and told him that I had to play seniors because Waikato wanted me to be available for the Waikato Colts.”
Andy was due to play for the Waikato Colts in 1963 and was in Whakatāne preparing to play Bay of Plenty Colts when Waikato fullback Don Clarke pulled out of all rugby, other than All Blacks matches, as he had been selected for the tour of the British Isles.
The Waikato senior side whisked Andy back home to replace Clarke, and he became Waikato #551 in the 11-all draw against Taranaki at Rugby Park, Hamilton on August 10 – even slotting a conversion.
“That brought such pride, that was virtually the top of what I could do. I’d played Waikato Juniors, played Waikato Colts and all of a sudden I was flown up to play for the senior team against Taranaki. It was a wow factor. I also made the trials for the New Zealand Colts side.
“There was virtually nobody else I knew that had played for Waikato. Jack Forkert was Dad’s nephew and he had played a few games. We played at Ōhaupō together. The other was Evan Dela Rue.”
As a country boy going into the city, Andy says that as he arrived for his debut match, he looked around to see if there was anyone he knew.
“The first guy to come up and introduce himself to me was Ian Clarke, he took me around to each of the players. That is the memory I have of Ian Clarke; he was a real gentleman. He was one of the great All Blacks and he would mix in with everybody.”
Between 1963 and 1966, Andy played 12 matches for Waikato, scoring 47 points as well as representing the 1965 New Zealand Post Office Rugby team and the Te Awamutu Sub-Union Peace Cup side.
The 1966 Rugby Almanack of New Zealand described him as an able fullback.
“After missing out on provincial selection and the Te Awamutu Peace Cup team in 1967, the Te Awamutu selector Guru Singh took me aside and said the reason I missed out was because my club rugby was not up to standard.”
This was why Andy transferred from Ōhaupō to Te Awamutu St Patrick’s Football Club (now Te Awamutu Marist) in 1968.
“It was quite hard shifting from there, but for my own future, I had to. A lot of the [locals] weren’t happy.”
Although his move was controversial, it paid off when he was reselected for Waikato in 1968. He appeared in a further eight matches, followed by three more in 1969.
After Andy moved to Hamilton for work, All Blacks and Waikato winger Bill Birtwistle encouraged him to play for Hamilton’s City Football Club.
Andy says he “wasn’t much of a runner with the ball”, he was more known for his kicking ability – and he’d spent hours in the paddock practising – with both feet.
“When I played for City, it was about the only time I ever had a dropkick at goal and it was a left-footed one. Birtwistle came back to me and said, ‘thanks for that, that’s great’, because it put us a few points ahead.”
Andy spent three seasons with City, including a 1970 team under captain/coach Birtwistle. That City team won 14 games and lost just two. They amassed 880 points for and only 114 against.
He also played many games for the Harlequins side (now New Zealand Harlequins) throughout his career.
“I started there when I was playing colts, because that’s what the Harlequins are for, to bring young players through. I’m still a member and it’s amazing who turns up [at the clubrooms] from the past.”
After the 1972 season, Andy retired from rugby, at the age of 29, but continued on the City Rugby Club committee for several years.
“We had three children by 1974 and you couldn’t afford not to be at work,” says Andy.
“I had one concussion. That’s virtually the only major injury I had, I had to lay off for about two weeks. I tackled a guy and hit my head on the ground. All I could do was frown, because you’re trying to think what’s going on and you can’t remember.”
Rugby-wise that was it, other than a golden oldies curtain raiser game before an international match at Rugby Park.
Andy says he’s happy he got to retire on his own terms after a lot of enjoyment on the pitch.
Off the field, although Andy had returned to his family farm for several years after completing his apprenticeship, he realised that electrical work was his calling.
“The farm probably wasn’t big enough coming from a family of seven. I couldn’t see myself being able to take it over.”
He was employed by the Waikato Hospital as an electrician for 17 years, “covering from Paeroa to Raglan and Kāwhia, up as far as Huntly and south to Taumarunui”.
Squash became his sport post-rugby and he managed to get a year’s free membership at the Frankton Squash Club after helping wire the club.
The nurses’ recreation hall at the hospital was converted into a squash club and Andy then joined the club there.
“We could go down at lunchtime and have a game of squash. After work, we’d finish at 4.30pm, you’d have a game and still be home by 5.30pm. It didn’t interfere with your after-work life.
“I just enjoyed it. It was competitive, it didn’t matter who you played - you could make a game of it.”
Although he moved on to work as an electrical overseer at Ruakura Research Centre, he played squash at the hospital until he gave it up.
Now 80, Andy retired six years ago after 31 years of service to Ruakura. He has also been a member of Hamilton South Lions Club for many years.
Andy and wife Noeleen enjoy the company of people, enjoying time with family (including their three children, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren) and spending their retirement years travelling.
Recently they were in the United States visiting their granddaughter and several American-based friends.
Andy’s rugby career and his everyday life have shown him the importance of people.
“Rugby is a very social game; you meet a lot of people and then you run into them again years later,” he says.
“[The reason I played rugby] was probably involvement with people. I could get out and enjoy it, and everybody played it in Ōhaupō.”
LIST OF TEAMS REPRESENTED:
Te Awamutu College 5th XV 1957
Te Awamutu College 2nd XV 1958-1959
Te Awamutu College 1st XV 1960
National Service Training Unit - 6th Intake representative rugby squad
Ōhaupō Rugby Football Club 1961-1967
Waikato Juniors 1961-1962
Waikato Colts 1963
New Zealand Colts trials 1964
New Zealand Post Office rugby team 1965
Waikato 1963-1966, 1968-1969
St Patrick’s Rugby Football Club 1968-1969
City Rugby Football Club 1970-1972
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