Skip to main content

Story: Softball and baseball

US Marines baseball match, Wellington, 1943

Video file

Two US Marines teams put on this baseball demonstration match in Athletic Park, Wellington, in January 1943. The crowd of between 20,000 and 25,000 enjoyed the game despite some confusion over the rules. The American habit of arguing with the umpire was, however, considered unsporting by some.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Weekly Review 77. National Film Unit, 1943

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Tony Smith and David Green, Softball and baseball – Baseball in New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/39661/us-marines-baseball-match-wellington-1943 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Tony Smith and David Green, published 30 November 2012, updated 1 July 2015.