Ernie Booth

{{short description|New Zealand international rugby union footballer and coach}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2019}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Ernie Booth

| image =

| caption =

| nickname =

| birth_name = Ernest Edward Booth

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1876|02|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Teschmakers, North Otago, New Zealand

| death_place = Christchurch, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1935|10|18|1876|02|24|df=yes}}

| ru_position = Fullback, three-quarter

| height = {{convert|1.70|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|74|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| repteam1 = {{nrut|New Zealand}}

| repyears1 = 1905–1907

| repcaps1 = 3

| reppoints1 = 0

| province1 = {{Rut|Otago}}

| province2 = New South Wales

| province3 = Leicester Tigers

| provinceyears1 = 1896–1908

| provinceyears2 = 1908–1909

| provinceyears3 = 1909

| provinceapps1 = 28

| provinceapps2 =

| provinceapps3 = 5

| provincepoints1 =

| occupation = Journalist, rugby union coach

| spouse =

| children =

| relatives =

| school =

}}

Ernest Edward Booth (24 February 1876 – 18 October 1935) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A fullback and three-quarter, Booth represented {{Rut|Otago}} at a provincial level between 1896 and 1907, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1905 to 1907. He played 24 matches for the All Blacks including three internationals, and was a member of the Original All Blacks on their 1905–06 tour of the British Isles, France and North America.{{cite web |url=http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=73 |title=General Booth |last=Knight |first=Lindsay |publisher=New Zealand Rugby Union |accessdate=18 March 2019}}

Booth moved to Sydney and played for New South Wales between 1908 and 1909. He toured as a press correspondent with the Australian rugby union team on their 1908–09 tour of Britain, and while there played 5 matches for Leicester becoming the first non-British international to play for the club.{{cite book|last1=Farmer|first1=Stuart|last2=Hands|first2=David|title=Tigers – Official history of Leicester Football Club|publisher=The Rugby Development Foundation|isbn=978-0-9930213-0-5|year = 2014 | pages = 65 & 451}}{{cite news | url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19351019.2.69 | title=Famous All Black dead | date=19 October 1935 | work=Evening Star | accessdate=18 March 2019 | page=14}} He served with the Australian forces during World War I as secretary in the YMCA.

In the 1920s, Booth was appointed as a professional coach by the Southland Rugby Union, developing the game in that region. In 1924, he accompanied the All Blacks on their tour of Britain, Ireland and France as the representative of the Australian Press Association. He then toured with New Zealand Māori on the British and French legs of their 1926–27 tour, reporting for newspapers in the North Island.

Booth died in the Christchurch suburb of St Albans on 18 October 1935,{{cite news | url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19351019.2.2.2 | title=Deaths | date=19 October 1935 | work=The Press | accessdate=18 March 2019 | page=1}} and he was buried in the Oamaru Old Cemetery.{{cite web |url=https://www.waitaki.govt.nz/our-services/do-it-online/cemetery-search/Pages/default.aspx?surname=booth&forename=ernest |title=Cemetery search |publisher=Waitaki District Council |accessdate=18 March 2019}}