Wilson James Whineray Born 10 July 1935 in Auckland, New Zealand.  He was we believe, the third of five sons to  Ida Cecilia Billany b.c.1907 and Bruce Ludlow Whineray b.c. 1904. 

Ida Cecilia Whineray (Billany) died in New Zealand in 1980 aged 73

Bruce Ludlow Whineray died in 1973  aged 69 years.

Data Source bdmhistoricalrecords.identityservices.govt.nz/deaths

Wilson James had four brothers Bruce Rusling (1933-2002) and Murray who was killed in a flying accident 1967. Two brothers as yet not named.

Sir Wilson James Whineray KNZM, OBE, MBA, BCom (1935-) New Zealand

IRB Hall of Fame - Induction No 4

Wilson James Whineray was educated at Auckland Grammar School; Massey Agricultural College; Lincoln College. MBA in business management as a Harkness Fellow at Harvard University.

He married Elisabeth (Seymour) and this union probably produced at least three children  James b.c. 1960 at Bloemfontein in Palmerston North, Kristen and Susan.

In 1965 he was awarded: NZ Sportsman of the Year.   OBE in 1962; and knighted in June 1998 for services to sport and business.   He was inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame 2002; and 2003 became an Elected patron of NZRU; 2007 Inducted to the IRB Hall of Fame.

 
Rugby Career

 Main position - Loose-head prop, though he played occasionally at No 8 (in school he started at scrum-half under coach Jim Bracewell)
Provincial rugby: Wairarapa (3 matches 1953), Mid Canterbury (9 matches 1954), Manawatu (7 matches in 1955), Canterbury (16 matches 1956-57), Waikato (7 matches 1958), Auckland (61 matches 1959-66), South Island (1957), North Island (6 matches 1958-65).

Representative rugby

  NZ under-21s in tour of Ceylon 1955, NZ under-23s as captain in Japan in 1958.    All Black trials (15 matches).   NZ Universities (1956-57) and New Zealand.   He also played for the Centurions club of NZ, the NZ Barbarians, in the 1964 South African Jubilee games and was captain of the South African Barbarians against Natal in 1960.   He coached successfully Grammar School OB  RFC (1970-73) and Onslow RFC in Wellington (1974).

Playing career highlights

In 1956, at the age of 21, he was on winning sides for Canterbury and the NZ Universities against South Africa.   He also skippered the Auckland side that took the shield from Southland in 1959.   He played for Auckland sides in their Ranfurly Shield reign of 1960-63

Though first capped on the 1957 tour of Australia, a year later he led the under-23s and became New Zealand captain for the 1958 series against Australia when he was aged only 23, scoring two tries in his first match as skipper.    He became the longest-serving captain and possibly, the greatest, in New Zealand.

Arguably the high point of his career on the 1963-64 tour of Britain and France. "Willie Away" became the All Black call, coming from a lineout peel in which he was a principal component, running through from a scrum half position to set up attacks in midfield. His handling was so good that in the final game of tour, against the Barbarians at Cardiff, he raced away to score the last try with an outrageous dummy and was hoisted on Barbarian shoulders and carried from the field, applauded by players and spectators alike, who sang: "For he's a jolly good fellow."

Rugby statistics

 All Black debut - 18 May 1957 v New South Wales at Sydney aged 21 years, 312 days.

Test debut - 25 May 1957 v Australia at Sydney aged 21 years, 319 days.

Last test - 18 September 1965 v South Africa at Auckland aged 30 years, 70 days.

Total number of matches for New Zealand 77
Tests 32 (30 as captain).

All Blacks games (non tests) 45 (37 as captain).
Points - Tests - 6 (2 tries). Other All Black games - 12 (3 tries, 1 drop goal)

Acclaimed as New Zealand's greatest captain (won 23, drew 3 and lost 5 of the 30 tests in which he was captain- 2nd most capped All Black captain – 30 occasions. Sean Fitzpatrick top with 51 tests as captain.

The 3rd New Zealander to reach 30 caps behind Don Clarke & Colin Meads.

From Test Debut to Final Test he missed only 3 test matches – playing in 32 out of the 35 tests*.

* The three tests he missed were when he made himself unavailable in 1964 to finish his degree.

Toured

The 1957 New Zealand Tour of Australia
The 1960 New Zealand Tour of South Africa & Australia
The 1962 New Zealand Tour of Australia
The 1963/1964 New Zealand Tour of UK, France & Canada.

Professional Career

Wilson James Whineray was a successful businessman and chaired the board of Carter Holt Harvey.  He also served on the boards of several other major companies, and was the managing director of NZ Wool Marketing Corporation during the period 1973-74. He was also chairman of the Hillary Commission, the body set up by the Government to oversee elite sport funding.   

From 1980 he was on the Eden Park Stadium board of control and after serving rugby in a number of advisory roles he became the New Zealand Rugby Union patron in 2003. 

He has now retired as Chairman of both the National Bank of New Zealand, Carter Holt Harvey and as a Director of Auckland International Airport Ltd but still serves as a Director on the  APN News & Media Ltd and Nestle Ltd.

Wilson James Whineray

Billany Family

Billany Holderness

Gravaline/Smith Family

Hand Bags of Fashion From Nordham

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