Robert William Henry" Bob" Scott Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire was a rugby football player who played rugby union for the All Blacks.
Background
His father had fought with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli during the First World War where he was chronically wounded. Although his father was employed money was scarce and Scott frequently went hungry, and he did own shoes as a child. His father was employed by the Public Works Department, and the family moved to Kapuni, then Tangarakau and later Ohura.
Career
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, and one of six children, Bob Scott had a difficult childhood. Although after two years the parents reconciled it was short-lived and they separated permanently within a year. Scott worked part-time and went to school until his father died of cancer in 1934.
Scott switched codes during the Second World War.
After working in a warehouse from the age of 13 he enlisted in the New Zealand Army when the Second World War started. He was posted to the Motor Transport Pool in Auckland.
In 1942 he was posted to Egypt with the Army Service Corps in the New Zealand Division as a truck driver. He served in North Africa and Italy, and described driving trucks of ammunition to the front lines as the most lonely experience of his life.
Company rugby teams within the New Zealand Division competed in a tournament called the Freyberg Cup – named after Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg who commanded the division.
Scott was in the Ammunition Company team that made the Freyberg Cup final in 1944. Although they lost the final to the 22nd Division, Scott, who played at fullback was selected to trial for the Army"s Kiwis team During World World War II, he served in Italy and was one of the players in the New Zealand Army rugby team along with Bob Stuart as fullback.
As an All Black in 1946 he toured Australia and later South Africa.
In 1990 Scott was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, and in 1995 he was given an Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to sport. Following the death of Fred Allen in April 2012, Scott held the distinction of being the oldest living All Black.
He died on 16 November 2012 at his home in Whangamata, New Zealand, where he lived during his later years.