Mr Albert (Opai) Asher

Te Ao Hou, June 1965, Page 63

Mr Albert (Opai) Asher One of the most famous of Auckland Maori footballers, Mr Albert Asher, generally known as ‘Opai’, died in Auckland last January, a few weeks after his 85th birthday. He represented Auckland at Rugby 21 times between 1898 and 1907, and in the following year was one of the first Rugby men to transfer to Rugby League. In the latter sport he captained the City Club team for three seasons and continued to play until after the First World War. retiring in his mid-40s. Mr Aser played for the North Island in 1902. His greatest moments in Rugby were with the 1903 All Black team which was unbeaten in 10 games in Australia and which is still regarded by many old enthusiasts as the greatest All Black team in history. Mr Asher's brilliantly elusive running on the wing yielded 17 tries, a record which was not eclipsed until 1951, and his feats of hurdling tacklers made him the sensation of the tour. He was a fireman throughout his working life and was famous in the days of the horse-drawn vehicles for leaping from the wagons and sprinting many blocks to the fire.