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Cliff Simpson (athlete)

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Cliff Simpson
Personal information
Birth nameClifford Simpson
Born(1928-08-20)20 August 1928
Temuka, New Zealand
Died10 December 2023(2023-12-10) (aged 95)
Feilding, New Zealand
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportTrack and field
ClubSt Kilda Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club[1]
Achievements and titles
National finals880 yards champion (1950)

Clifford Simpson (20 August 1928 – 10 December 2023) was a New Zealand middle-distance athlete who represented his country at the 1950 British Empire Games. He also played representative rugby union for South Otago.

Early life

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Born in Temuka on 20 August 1928, Simpson was the son of George William and Winifred Margaret Simpson.[2][3] He was educated at King's High School in Dunedin, where he played fullback in the school's 1st XV rugby team, and was prominent in athletics, winning the intermediate athletics championship in 1944.[4][5][6]

Athletics

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Simpson came to national attention when he won the New Zealand under-19 880 yards title, representing Otago, in 1946, recording a time of 2:00.6,[7] and was second in the same event the following year.[1] He went on to win the national senior title over the same distance in 1950; his winning time was 1:54.4.[7]

Simpson competed in the men's 880 yards and 1 mile at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.[2] He placed fourth in his heat of the 880 yards,[8] and progressed to the final, in which he finished sixth in a time of 1:56.0.[9] He ran 4:26.6 to finish sixth in his heat of the 1 mile, and did not advance further.[10]

Rugby union

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A fullback, Simpson was a member of the Toko Rugby Football Club in Milton.[11] He played for the South Otago representative rugby union team between at least 1947 and 1950.[12][13][14]

Later life

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Simpson worked as a stock agent.[12] He moved to the Manawatū in the early 1950s, living first in Feilding, and later at Halcombe.[12] He died in Feilding on 10 December 2023.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Fortieth anniversary". Otago Daily Times. 26 June 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Clifford Simpson". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Birth search: registration number 1928/26675". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  4. ^ "High school rugby". Evening Star. 26 July 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  5. ^ "School year ends". Evening Star. 16 December 1944. p. 8. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  6. ^ "NZ senior sports representatives". KHS Old Boys' Association. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  7. ^ a b Hollings, Stephen (December 2016). "National champions 1887–2016" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Athletics results". Otago Daily Times. 6 February 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Further Empire records are broken". Otago Daily Times. 8 February 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  10. ^ "The results". Otago Daily Times. 10 February 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  11. ^ "South Otago rugby". Otago Daily Times. 24 April 1950. p. 2. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  12. ^ a b c "Manawatu conversations: Cliff Simpson pt 2". Manawatu People's Radio. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Milton: representative football". Otago Daily Times. 30 September 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Topp Cup match". Otago Daily Times. 21 August 1950. p. 8. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  15. ^ Lampp, Peter (16 December 2023). "Repeat golfing feat shouldn't take another 63 years". Manawatū Standard. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Clifford Simpson obituary". Manawatū Standard. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2024.


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