Hercules Richard Wright

Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright (16 January 1881 – 4 April 1963) was a New Zealand rugby footballer who was part of the professional (rugby league) 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain.

Background Born in Arahura, which is north of Hokitika in the West Coast region of New Zealand, Wright was a printer by trade.

Rugby union career The Petone senior rugby team in 1907. Wright is second from the left in the back row, next to Tom Cross (on the left).Wright began his rugby union career playing for North Wairarapa in 1899. He then moved to Petone where he joined the Petone Rugby Club. During the Second Boer War, Wright played for the New Zealand Army Corps team, which was the first New Zealand rugby side to play in South Africa. Wright had been one of the tour's selectors and was elected captain for the tour, a sign of the democratic nature of the touring party. After returning to New Zealand Wright played rugby league in Wellington, representing the Wellington Rugby League in matches against Auckland in 1908 and Taranaki in 1909.

Legacy Wright was named at in the Petone Panthers' Team of the Century in 2012.