Frank Pickrang

They had 5 children, Horiana Eliza Pickrang (b.1905), Charles Edward Pickrang (b.1907), Violet Adelaide Pickrang (b.1911), and Ansell Fitzgerald Pickrang (b.1913).

Ansell was born on January 15, less than 4 months after the death of his father.

He died on September 20, 1912.

Violet died aged just 8 months on August 27, 1912, 3 weeks before her father's death.

Charles was a good rugby player in the Ashburton region, playing for Rakaia and later for Petone in Wellington.

The newspapers would often describe him as a “half-caste Zulu”.

He largely went by the name ‘Ted’ and after moving to Australia to pursue a boxing career he fought under the name of ‘Sam Kauri’.

He also played 2 games for North Sydney in the New South Wales Rugby League competition.

Frank was born 2 and a half years after the death of Anselmo and had no father's name recorded on his birth registration.

Francis John Pickrang (18 February 1915 – 23 May 1999) was a rugby union and rugby league player.

Francis John Pickrang was born on February 18, 1915.

His mother, Wilhelmina Elizabeth Pickrang (nee Dymock) was born in Otago.

She married Anselmo Pickering (spelling later became Pickrang) who had been born on the island of Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands.

His mother remarried in 1920 to Charles Thomas Pudney.

In the process he became the 245th player to represent New Zealand.

Pickrang also played rugby union for Waitanguru, Maniapoto, Pinedale, Putaruru, and represented King Country Rugby Football Union.

In rugby league he played for the Manukau and Ponsonby United clubs in Auckland, as well as representing Auckland, and the North Island.

He later moved to Whangārei where he played for the City club and played one match for Northland.

Pickrang enlisted in the New Zealand military and fought in World War 2 as part of the 2nd N.Z. Expeditionary Force.

It appears that Pickrang moved from Wellington sometime around the start of 1935 and aged 20 began playing senior rugby for the newly formed Waitanguru club in the King Country competition.

Their section of the competition was in the Maniapoto sub union.

His first match in their black and green jerseys was against Pio Pio on May 12, 1935.

His side lost 13-8 and with him being new to the area he was described as “a tigerish Islander in the forwards”.

He played in a match with Otorohanga on May 19, and then against Old Boys a week later was said to have “again played a splendid game, and was probably the best forward on Rugby Park”.

Against Waitere on June 1 Craig “and Pickrang – Waitanguru's second star forward – collared clean around the ankles, and many a Waitere player can vouch how effective this tackling, so seldom seen here, was last Saturday”.

He played further matches against Hangatiki, Te Kuiti, and Otorohanga and was regularly having his fine play commented on.

Before the Maniapoto representative side was picked it was said in the King Country Chronicle that “it will take very strong opposition to oust Pickrang out of a place”.

He was duly selected in the second row for the Maniapoto side to play against Ōhura on June 29.

In the team was also Len Kawe, the Māori All Black who would also later play with Pickrang at Manukau rugby league club.

Maniapoto won 6 to 3 at Te Kuiti.

Pickrang was said to have “sent his backs away” early in the second half after breaking away with the ball at his feet.

He set his backs away again after taking a kick and at the end of the movement McLeod scored what turned out to be the winning try.

J. Craig was said to be their best forward but was well supported by Davis and Pickrang.

He played further matches for Waitanguru against Waitete and Te Kuiti in July before being picked again to play for Maniapoto to play against Waipa.

In the side with him was Angus Gault who would also later convert to rugby league and play with Pickrang for New Zealand.

Maniapoto won 6-3 with Pickrang and Gault “particularly good in the tight work”.

On July 27 he played in the green and white of Maniapoto for the third time, this time against Kawhia.

He played in the second row once more in a 25 to 6 win.

He played one more match for Waitanguru against Hangatiki on August 3 before he was selected for King Country.

He represented the New Zealand rugby league team in 2 tests against England in 1936.