George Paki was a New Zealand international rugby league player. He debuted for New Zealand in 1921 and became Kiwi number 151 in the process. He also played for New Zealand Māori rugby league team and an unofficial New Zealand Māori rugby side which toured Australia and New Zealand in 1913.
Early life
George (Hori) Paki was born on June 16, 1893, in Huntly, Waikato. His father was Hori Kerei Paki, and his mother was Raukura Paki (née Matena). He had 2 brothers and 6 sisters; Ngaurupa, Wetere, Huatahi Turoa Brown, Rangiatea, Te Atawhai, Pitongatonga Marama Nancy Te Paki, and Mere Nutana Te Paki.
Playing career
Rugby Union beginnings
In 1909 aged 16 Paki was chosen for the final Huntly representative match of the season against Taupiri at Taupiri. He was named to play in the five-eighth position. In 1909 Paki played for the “Kia Ora (native) junior” team in the Lower Waikato competition. He made 6 appearances in their backline, in the fullback and three quarters positions and scored a try in a 6–0 win over Taupiri on May 28.
In 1911 Paki moved to the Huntly club where he debuted in the senior side. He played 7 matches for them against Taupiri, Hamilton and Rangiriri before being selected for the Lower Waikato representative team. He made his debut against Franklin on August 5 and scored a try in a 10–3 win where he played five eighth. His other appearances were against Hamilton, Franklin, and then a 38–3 loss to Auckland. Paki played five eighth in all of the matches. Paki finished the season playing for the Huntly representative side against Hamilton at Huntly on September 23. He scored a try once again playing at five eighth in a 12–11 win.
It is unknown where Paki played in 1912 as he does not appear in any newspaper reports for rugby or rugby league matches anywhere in New Zealand. Then in 1913 he was selected for a New Zealand Māori side to tour Australia. Only 7 of the original 23 selected for the tour which was organised by Ned Parata who had taken previously organised the first official Maori tour in 1910 and was to take further teams in 1922, 1923, and 1926–27. The team did not perform particularly well compared to previous New Zealand Māori teams. As a result, the team seems to have been regarded as an unofficial side and is not included in New Zealand Māori rugby records. Paki played in a pre-tour match on May 24 in Rotorua where the team had assembled prior to departing, staying with Parata. He played at fullback in front of "a large crowd … at Pukeroa Hill" which was won by the Māori side 17–9 over the local Rotorua team. He scored the third try for his team which came about after a loose scrum where he "picked up, raced down the line, and over at the corner". They then played a Thames side before departing for Australia. In Australia they played New South Wales twice for two losses, had a win and a loss against Queensland and won their other 4 matches. Paki only made two appearances on the tour, the first was against New South Wales on June 9 where he came on as a replacement for Sam Piki who received a compound stress fracture in his leg in a 3–15 loss. His only other match on tour was against a Sydney Metropolitan side which they won 6–3. After the match with New South Wales he was said to have played so well that the New South Wales team presented him with a "valuable trophy". After returning to New Zealand Paki gave the trophy to King Te Rata Mahuta.
They had returned to New Zealand on July 4 and immediately embarked on a series of games against New Zealand provincial sides including Auckland (0-25), Horowhenua (7-6), Canterbury (0-11), and Southland (8-5). Paki did not play in any of these matches but he was to play in their final 3 tour matches against Otago, South Canterbury, and Wellington. Paki played in the forwards against Otago in a 3–3 draw in front of 6,000 spectators in Dunedin. He then played against South Canterbury in Timaru, which was the first time a 'Maori' team had played there for 25 years according to the 'Timaru Herald'. Paki's team ran out 19-8 winners in wet conditions at the Caledonian Ground. In the match with Wellington at Athletic Park the Maori side found themselves down 23–0 in the second half before a spirited fight back saw them only lose 23–21 with Paki scoring two of their tries after breaking free from lineouts on each occasion.
In late September Paki was named in as an emergency player in the Māori side for a match with the touring Australian team but he did not take the field. The match was a late addition to the Australian schedule to help raise money for Piki who had taken a long time to recover from his broken leg earlier in the year. The Māori side won the match 12–9 at Alexandra Park.