Albert Downing
| Born | Albert Joseph Downing 12 July 1886 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 8 August 1915 (aged 29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 89 kg (14 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Napier Boys' High | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Military career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance | United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch | New Zealand Army | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service years | 1911–1915 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Sergeant | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | Fifth Reinforcements (Wellington Battalion) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conflicts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albert "Doolan" Joseph Downing (12 July 1886 – 8 August 1915) was a New Zealand international rugby union player, capped 26 times at lock between 1913 and 1914. He was born in Napier, and began his playing career for Napier Marist in 1909, from which he was selected for Hawke's Bay and for the North Island. He moved at the end of 1912 to Auckland and there joined Auckland Marist, where he was the club's first All Black, playing his debut match against a touring Australian team in 1913. He was selected for the highly successful tour of North America in 1913, playing in 14 of the 16 matches and scoring 6 tries.
While the All Blacks were on a tour of Australia in 1914, the British Empire declared war on Germany and the team collectively decided to enlist. Three of them were killed, Downing the first of the All Blacks in World War I. After enlisting in early 1915, he took part in the Battle of Chunuk Bair, part of the Gallipoli Campaign, and was killed on 8 August. Henry Dewar, a teammate from the US tour, died the following day at Anzac Cove.