| Ernie Booth | |
| Birth Name: | Ernest Edward Booth |
| Birth Date: | 24 February 1876 |
| Birth Place: | Teschmakers, North Otago, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Ru Position: | Fullback, three-quarter |
| Height: | 1.70NaN0 |
| Weight: | 74kg (163lb) |
| Repyears1: | 1905–1907 |
| Repcaps1: | 3 |
| Reppoints1: | 0 |
| Province2: | New South Wales |
| Province3: | Leicester Tigers |
| Provinceyears1: | 1896–1908 |
| Provinceyears2: | 1908–1909 |
| Provinceyears3: | 1909 |
| Provinceapps1: | 28 |
| Provinceapps3: | 5 |
| Occupation: | Journalist, rugby union coach |
Ernest Edward Booth (24 February 1876 – 18 October 1935) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A fullback and three-quarter, Booth represented 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.[1]
Booth moved to Sydney and played for New South Wales between 1908 and 1909.[1] 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.[2] [1] [3] He served with the Australian forces during World War I as secretary in the YMCA.[1]
In the 1920s, Booth was appointed as a professional coach by the Southland Rugby Union, developing the game in that region.[1] In 1924, he accompanied the All Blacks on their tour of Britain, Ireland and France as the representative of the Australian Press Association.[3] 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.[3]
Booth died in the Christchurch suburb of St Albans on 18 October 1935,[1] [3] [4] and he was buried in the Oamaru Old Cemetery.[5]