Karl Donald Ifwersen (1893–1967) was a New Zealand rugby football player who represented New Zealand in both rugby league and rugby union.
Early years
Karl Donald Ifwersen was born on January 6 in Auckland, New Zealand. His parents were Charles Ernest Ifwersen (1868-1910), and Margaret Marion Bedell (1869-1944). He had 6 siblings; Margaret Zeka Ifwersen (1894-1944), Roy Ifwersen (1896-1940), Doris Norma Ifwersen (1899-1989), Esme Ifwersen (1901-1937), Alfred Neil Sinclair Ifwersen (1904-1963), and Mary Clyde Ifwersen (1907-1988). His brother Roy was also an accomplished senior rugby player who played with Karl at times.
Ifwersen attended both St John's College and Auckland Grammar. He originally played for North Shore as a junior before moving to the new College Rifles rugby union club and was instrumental in helping the team win back-to-back junior championships in their first two years in ARFU competition. He played in 2 senior matches in the 1910 season for the Grafton seniors (as College Rifles only had a second grade side) and impressed with the New Zealand Herald saying in July 1910 that he was one of the most promising juniors in Auckland. In 1911 the City senior side asked to play him but were not allowed by the ARU as it was past the July 1 deadline for the transfer of players. During that same season he scored 100 points for the College Rifles second grade side. Later in the season he also played 2 more matches for the Grafton senior side. In an Auckland junior match against Waiuku on September 22 he scored 4 tries in an easy win. In 1912 College Rifles were promoted to the first grade and he played in 10 matches for them. He was selected for his Auckland debut against the South Island on July 20 and played in the five eights positions. Ifwersen kicked 3 conversions in a 29-3 win. In total he represented Auckland in 8 provincial matches that season, scoring 3 tries, kicking 4 conversions and a penalty for 20 points.
Rugby league career
Ifwersen then switched codes to rugby league, joining the North Shore Albions where he debuted for them on the 3 May 1913. He scored a try in a 13-10 win over the reigning champions Newton Rangers. He played for Auckland before representing his club and made the 1913 New Zealand tour of Australia. The following year he joined the newly formed Grafton Athletic senior team. He performed outstandingly for them and led the competition in scoring in 1914 with 66 points and in 1915 with 78 points which greatly assisted Grafton in winning their first ever championship. Indeed he scored 146 of their 193 points in those two seasons. In the 1916 season he once again led the league in scoring with 56 points however the 1917 season was to be a frustrating one with his Grafton team struggling for playing numbers and they were forced to default matches before dropping out of the competition. In 1918 though he again was prolific, scoring 4 tries, and kicking 27 goals for 66 points to lead the league in scoring for a remarkable 5th season out of six. He also represented Auckland in their first match in a number of years and he scored 2 tries and kicked 4 goals in a 45-9 win over Canterbury in front of 10,000 spectators at the Auckland Domain.
World War
Ifwersen was part of the advance to Samoa at the start of the war before rejoining Grafton for the 1915 season. He joined the twenty-eighth draft which mobilised for camp on 10 April 1917. He travelled with the 3rd Auckland Mounted Rifles for Egypt where he also played for the New Zealand Army team. He did not spend a large amount of time abroad as he was frequently in Auckland playing for Grafton throughout the war and his war record like most others who served during World War I is lacking in specific details.
Return to league
Despite serving in the armed forces Ifwersen still managed to turn out for Grafton at stages in every year of the war. He made the New Zealand side again after the conclusion of the war when representative matches resumed. He captained the Kiwis in 4 matches in 1919 and again against the 1920 Great Britain tourists.
Rugby union career
In 1921 Ifwersen switched codes, playing rugby union. He immediately returned to the rep team, captaining the combined Auckland-North Auckland side against South Africa in his first game back and scoring the only try.