On 30 August 1903, New Zealand rugby international Joe Warbrick, David McNaughton, and sisters Ruby and Catherine Nicholls were killed after venturing close to the edge of the geyser, having ignored requests from Warbrick’s brother Alfred to return to a safe distance. The four were scalded and then swept away in a sudden violent eruption.
Warbrick had earlier achieved some fame as captain of the 1888/89 New Zealand Natives rugby touring team. The first New Zealand representative rugby team to tour beyond Australia, they played a staggering 107 matches in New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain, winning 78 of them.
The Geyser was seen erupting in late 1900. Its eruptions were observed reaching up to 1,500 feet (460 m) in height, and it excited worldwide interest. The geyser was erupting regularly for 5–6 hours out of a cycle of about 36 hours.
On this 30th day of August we remember the famous NZ Rugby captain Guide Joseph Warbrick and the three tourists that were killed instantly when the Waimangu geyser erupted unexpectedly.
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