Page 20 - NHS Beyond the Classroom
P. 20
John Walker 1970-1982
Probably John Walker’s biggest In 1972 John
claim to fame is that he had the right to played for New
tell Prince Charles what to do! Zealand in a three-
Former Ngaruawahia High School test series against
pupil John Walker must be one of a very Australia, and toured
small group of people who have had that South Africa with a
right - and it’s not likely that the Prince private Kiwi team. He also went to
disapproved of him exercising it. Boston, New York and Washington for
John earned national and games.
international recognition by reaching the A year later he was back in the
top of his chosen sport - polo. United States with a private New
That sport has seen him represent Zealand team, and in 1975 captained a
New Zealand continuously for over ten years, and New Zealand team which won the Australasian
has seen him appointed captain of a polo team Cup at Queensland, Australia.
with none other than Prince Charles in it. That same year he captained the team at
John’s list of successes with polo is long and Adelaide which won the Expo ‘75 Trophy.
full. In 1976 John played for the United States in
He first represented the Waikato in 1970 and Sydney when one of its players was injured.
New Zealand in 1972. He has travelled all over the A year later he was selected to play Australia
world with official and private New Zealand teams but was injured and could not.
and has helped foreign teams beat opponents. The next year, 1978, was the first year that
john’s team won the New Zealand Open. The team
also won the Open again in 1980 and 1981.
In 1979 John again represented New Zealand
against Australia and won the Sydney Show as
well as a three-test series. During that year he
played with an English and Australian team and
won the Australian Open.
The following saw him playing for New
Zealand against Zimbabwe as well as playing in
England.
In 1981 he was the member of a team which
reached the final of the Australian Open. That
team was beaten by the United States.
He also played in South Africa with a private
Kiwi team, but the highlight of that year was an
exhibition match in Auckland when he captained a
team with a member whose name was Prince
Charles.
Much of 1982 was spent playing polo
overseas. John’s successes included wins in the
Australian Open, at Australia’s Royal Easter
Show, at the Kooralbyn Masters Open, and in
England where he had wins in the Warwickshire
Cup and the British Open.
Globetrotting John returned to New Zealand
in 1983 from England where he spent the English
polo season. This year was spent playing in South
Africa for a British team, which won a test series
there.
He also played with a team of South
Africans and added the South African Open to his
long list of successes.
