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Brian Nordgren 1925 - 2007
Photo: Keith
Photo: Keith
Views: 2,646
Item #: 33036
Item #: 33036
Brian Nordgren B.1925 - D. May 2007 age 81. Played 293 games for Wigan 1945 to 1955, scored a fantastic 316 tries and kicked 112 goals.
Brian’s scoring ability never left him, on the basis of tries scored per match is still Wigan's third best try scorer.
When I was at Junior school, we were all aware of the familiar chant that ”paid tribute to Brian" as a prolific try scorer, it was a simple chant of “Noggie, Noggie, Noggie” but it was a chant of joy as he once again placed the ball over the opponents line.
Apparently a rugby league historian described Brian as “an Antipodean Adonis” and he had a large fan following, perhaps a significant number of them being of the opposite sex, since he could also be very charming. According to his daughter Anne, some of them were still writing to him well into his 70’s.
He married a Liverpool lass in 1948 while studying at Liverpool University for his Law Degree, at the same time his New Zealand friend and fellow Wigan player, Ces Mountford was at Wigan Technical and Mining College studying for his Mining Qualifications.
In 2004 the Waikato Law Society recognised “the kaumatua (a Maori elder - a leader of a tribe, someone to look up to and follow etc.,) of Hamilton’s criminal bar, by organising a dinner in his honour, with about 100 lawyers and judges present, while Brian’s former colleague told their stories.
Astounding when you consider at 10 months old he was placed in an orphanage where he stayed until he was 10 years old and then at 14 joined the army. In the army he started to excel in sports, especially swimming, and athletics in which he won many medals and in Rugby Union when he played for the Garrison Artillery team. Persuaded to try Rugby league where scoring chances for a winger would be greater. Brian joined Ponsonby (Auckland) and in that one season was rated best performer scored 267 points and broke national records for tries scored. A British scout spotted him and Wigan’s offer was too tempting to refuse.
His family re-united in Sydney when he was 10 years old, they then moved to Auckland where Brian spent 2 years in Intermediate School, so he had no formal secondary education. I can only assume he was more than eager to make up for lost time when he became a full time student after he joined Wigan.
One of his barrister colleagues remarked “Brian was a splendid example of high standards of professional diligence and commitment to clients’ interest. He could be fearless in dealing with an unsympathetic judge, but always with the air of a complete gentleman. I think that marked him out - courageous with style. He was a treasured icon of the Hamilton defence bar”.
How appropriate are those words to describe Brian and his rugby career as well.
Around 1980 when Brian was about 55 years old, and working as a barrister in Auckland, he had health problems associated with a benign pituitary tumour. His body wasted and he abandoned his successful career as a barrister. His health slowly recovered after surgery. At that point he moved to Hamilton to be closer to his daughter Anne and his grand children and resumed his career in law and never left until he died in May 2007. As he pointed out to us when we met,, "No one, in those days, ever mentioned the danger to health from smoking".
It was a privilege to meet Brian, I’m so pleased I didn’t listen to my wife who simply wanted to continue driving through Hamilton on our way to the Coromandel (it was a long drive). Having said that, she admitted that meeting Brian had been a highlight of our trip to New Zealand.
What a life, what a career, what a man.
Brian’s scoring ability never left him, on the basis of tries scored per match is still Wigan's third best try scorer.
When I was at Junior school, we were all aware of the familiar chant that ”paid tribute to Brian" as a prolific try scorer, it was a simple chant of “Noggie, Noggie, Noggie” but it was a chant of joy as he once again placed the ball over the opponents line.
Apparently a rugby league historian described Brian as “an Antipodean Adonis” and he had a large fan following, perhaps a significant number of them being of the opposite sex, since he could also be very charming. According to his daughter Anne, some of them were still writing to him well into his 70’s.
He married a Liverpool lass in 1948 while studying at Liverpool University for his Law Degree, at the same time his New Zealand friend and fellow Wigan player, Ces Mountford was at Wigan Technical and Mining College studying for his Mining Qualifications.
In 2004 the Waikato Law Society recognised “the kaumatua (a Maori elder - a leader of a tribe, someone to look up to and follow etc.,) of Hamilton’s criminal bar, by organising a dinner in his honour, with about 100 lawyers and judges present, while Brian’s former colleague told their stories.
Astounding when you consider at 10 months old he was placed in an orphanage where he stayed until he was 10 years old and then at 14 joined the army. In the army he started to excel in sports, especially swimming, and athletics in which he won many medals and in Rugby Union when he played for the Garrison Artillery team. Persuaded to try Rugby league where scoring chances for a winger would be greater. Brian joined Ponsonby (Auckland) and in that one season was rated best performer scored 267 points and broke national records for tries scored. A British scout spotted him and Wigan’s offer was too tempting to refuse.
His family re-united in Sydney when he was 10 years old, they then moved to Auckland where Brian spent 2 years in Intermediate School, so he had no formal secondary education. I can only assume he was more than eager to make up for lost time when he became a full time student after he joined Wigan.
One of his barrister colleagues remarked “Brian was a splendid example of high standards of professional diligence and commitment to clients’ interest. He could be fearless in dealing with an unsympathetic judge, but always with the air of a complete gentleman. I think that marked him out - courageous with style. He was a treasured icon of the Hamilton defence bar”.
How appropriate are those words to describe Brian and his rugby career as well.
Around 1980 when Brian was about 55 years old, and working as a barrister in Auckland, he had health problems associated with a benign pituitary tumour. His body wasted and he abandoned his successful career as a barrister. His health slowly recovered after surgery. At that point he moved to Hamilton to be closer to his daughter Anne and his grand children and resumed his career in law and never left until he died in May 2007. As he pointed out to us when we met,, "No one, in those days, ever mentioned the danger to health from smoking".
It was a privilege to meet Brian, I’m so pleased I didn’t listen to my wife who simply wanted to continue driving through Hamilton on our way to the Coromandel (it was a long drive). Having said that, she admitted that meeting Brian had been a highlight of our trip to New Zealand.
What a life, what a career, what a man.
Comment by: Benjy on 28th March 2021 at 16:21
Brian played in the 1946 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley against Wakefield. Wigan were struggling to get a full strength side together (quite a few were still in the Forces). They lost 13 - 12 and Brian missed all his 4 kicks at goal. He later said “I was the unhappiest man in London”.
Not only that instead of receiving winning pay of £25 (£1,000) they picked up £5 (£200).
However, at Wigan, Brian picked up the following honours, 4 League titles, 5 Lancashire Cup medals and 4 Lancashire league titles.
Comment by: Roy on 28th March 2021 at 17:23
Thanks for that Keith, a very interesting read. I first watched Wigan in 1953 with my dad when i was 12 although i must have seen him play i can't remember much about the teams then.
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