George Gothard Aitken was born in Westport on 2 July 1898. He arrived at Victoria University in 1917 after completing his secondary education at Westport District High School and quickly found his way into the Varsity senior team. Aitken's quick selection came as no surprise as the young centre had already represented Buller as a sixteen year old.
In 1917, with many senior players serving in forces, the Wellington Rugby Football Union ran an under 20s competition. Seven representative matches selected from men under military age were played and the Wellington Rugby Football Union, in financial trouble because of severely reduced gate takings, launched a successful appeal for funds to pay the rent at Athletic Park. Aitken played in a number of these games.
That year, Victoria's only team finished the season in second place on the competition table behind Petone. This was achieved despite the handicap of having to hold practices at 7am - the only time available.
By 1919 Aitken had won the captaincy of the Varsity first fifteen. Spike, the Victoria College review, noted that Aitken, a fast and elusive centre, was always dangerous, very quick off the mark and good at making openings but added that as captain, 'he could afford to hustle the team a bit more'.
In its review of the 1920 season Spike reported that the first fifteen had 'as usual played inconsistently, defeating leading teams and losing to lower ones.' However, 'they possessed the fastest set of backs in Wellington, although their forwards were handicapped by lack of weight'.
In 1920, Aitken was selected in one of the strongest Wellington teams ever. Along side Aitken were the Nicholls brothers, the Tilyards, Teddy Roberts and Beet Algar. Aitken played twelve matches that year as Wellington successfully defended the Ranfurly Shield.
In 1921, Aitken captained New Zealand Universities on their tour of Australia, before being named as captain of the All Blacks to face the first Springboks side to visit to New Zealand at Carisbrook, Dunedin. Not only was it Aitken's first test, it was also the All Blacks first appearance since 1914. Aitken led the All Blacks to a 13-5 victory over 'Boy' Morkel's Springboks at Carisbrook.
The second test at Eden Park saw the Springboks emerge 9-5 winners. Following the defeat, the All Black selectors caused a sensation by dropping Aitken and reshuffled their backline, moving Mark Nicholls to centre and bringing in the brilliant Auckland five-eighth, Karl Ifwersen. For the record, the third test was drawn 0-0 and the series level at 1-1. Aitken did not wear the black jersey again.
Nevertheless, the Aitken era signaled the arrival of Varsity rugby in Wellington. Under Aitken, Varsity became a force to be reckoned with. One chronicler of the period wrote: 'Citizens flocked to Athletic Park to gaze with rapture at the University team, and small boys brooded ecstatically upon the existence of George Atiken. For Aitken was not merely captain of the College team, but also skipper of the All Blacks.'
Another recorded that: 'From the early twenties, University had established a reputation for providing the brightest and best in club football - and this at a time when Wellington football was at an uncommonly high level.' After Captaining the All Blacks against the Springboks, Aitken become a local hero. The great Victoria academic John Beaglehole referred to Aitken as chevalier sans peur et sans reproche or 'a knight without reproach'.
In 1922 Aiken won a Rhodes Scholarship ahead of Arthur Porritt and set-off for Oxford University. Porritt would quickly recover from this disappointment, however, winning a sprinting medal at the at the 1924 Olympics. He would later became Governor General of New Zealand.
When Aitken left Oxford in 1924 he went into business in England and represented the then champion Scotland side in 1924, 1925 and again in 1929. Aitken was deprived a game against the 1924 All Black 'Invincibles' when the Scottish Rugby Union elected not to play the tourists, citing an argument over gate takings that stretched back to 1905. Aitken also made frequent appearances for the Barbarians during his time in Britain.
As a player Aitken was greatly admired and was described as a beautiful mover with the ball. At 5'9'' and 12st 4lb he was a speedy, thinking centre with a knee-high action who could also play on the wing.
George Aitken returned to New Zealand in 1939 and joined the Department of Industries and Commerce, as it was then known. He died in 1952 at the age of 54.
References
John Anderson, The Story of the Green and Golds: The History of the Victoria University Rugby Club, 1987.
R. H. Chester & N A McMillan, Men in Black, Moa Beckett, 1978.
R. H. Chester & N A McMillan, Centenary - 100 Years of All Black Rugby, Moa Publications, 1984.
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