Muriel Boswell

Muriel Frances Boswell (née Howe; 31 October 1915 – 5 November 2003) was a New Zealand netball player. She was a member of the New Zealand team in their first Test match, in 1938 against Australia.

Muriel Boswell
Personal information
Full name Muriel Frances Boswell (née Howe)
Born (1915-10-31)31 October 1915
Petone, New Zealand
Died 5 November 2003(2003-11-05) (aged 88)
Whanganui, New Zealand
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
School Hutt Valley High School
Netball career
Playing position(s): C
Years National team(s) Caps
1938 New Zealand 1

Early life

Born Muriel Frances Howe in Petone on 31 October 1915, Boswell was the daughter of Archibald Charles and Margaret Howe.[1][2] She was educated at Petone West School, where she was dux in 1928,[3] and Hutt Valley High School, where she was prominent in sports including tennis and swimming.[1][4][5]

Netball career

Domestic

Howe first played representative netball for Wellington as a forward in 1933, but in 1936 and 1937 she was selected at centre. In 1938, she was described as being "brilliant in quick interception and ever ready to make openings for her defence".[6]

International

In 1938, Howe was selected for the New Zealand national netball team that travelled to Australia and competed in the Australian interstate tournament in Melbourne.[7] At times, the New Zealand team struggled as the matches were played on grass courts under Australian rules, which differed from those used in New Zealand at the time.[8][9] After missing the first two games of the tournament, Howe appeared in an exhibition match played under New Zealand rules, in which the New Zealand team beat Victoria 19–5.[9] Howe also played in New Zealand's remaining matches, being defeated by South Australia 14–47[10] and Tasmania 17–32,[11] before overcoming New South Wales 21–18.[12]

Howe played in the single Test match, the first played between New Zealand and Australia, in Melbourne on 20 August 1938, with New Zealand losing 11–40. The match was played under Australian rules.[13]

Later life and death

In 1939, as part of the Hutt Valley centennial celebrations, Howe was named as the sports queen in the Hutt Valley Queen Carnival.[14][15]

On 17 June 1944, Howe married David John Boswell at the Free Wesleyan Church in Nuku'alofa, Tonga.[16] The couple lived for many years in Hawke's Bay, where Dave Boswell was general manager of the Central Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board from 1945 to 1964,[17] and had four children.[18]

Muriel Boswell died in Whanganui on 5 November 2003, aged 88.[19] Her husband, Dave Boswell, died in 2015.[18]

References
  1. "Muriel Boswell". Netball New Zealand. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  2. "Birth search: registration number 1915/24950". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  3. "The schools: examination results". Evening Post. Vol. 106, no. 141. 19 December 1928. p. 17. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  4. "Walker and Hall Cup". Evening Post. Vol. 108, no. 133. 2 December 1929. p. 16. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  5. "Hutt High School: presentation of trophies". Evening Post. Vol. 110, no. 130. 29 November 1930. p. 15. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  6. "Basketball: New Zealand team for Australia". The Press. Vol. 74, no. 22453. 14 July 1938. p. 18. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  7. "Dominion basketball players". Manawatu Times. Vol. 63, no. 173. 25 July 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. "N.Z. basketball team: competing in state tournament". Evening Star. No. 23037. 16 August 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  9. "Victoria beat Dominion basketball team". Horowhenua Chronicle. 17 August 1938. p. 6. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. "Again beaten". Horowhenua Chronicle. 18 August 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  11. "Basketball tourists: defeat by Tasmania". Poverty Bay Herald. Vol. 65, no. 19713. 19 August 1938. p. 8. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  12. "Dominion basketball team: defeat of New South Wales". Horowhenua Chronicle. 20 August 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  13. "Australia wins". Auckland Star. Vol. 69, no. 197. 22 August 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. "Queen Carnival". Evening Post. Vol. 127, no. 67. 21 March 1939. p. 2. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  15. "Sports night". Evening Post. Vol. 127, no. 90. 18 April 1939. p. 19. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  16. "Marriages". Evening Post. Vol. 138, no. 156. 30 December 1944. p. 1. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  17. "David John Boswell". Hawke's Bay Digital Archive Trust. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  18. "Dave Boswell death notice". New Zealand Herald. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  19. "Cemetery search". Whanganui District Council. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
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