able to play in the return match. Hughes applied for reinstatement to rugby early in 1909 but was told that the Southland Rugby Union did not have the power to reinstate him. He continued to try for reinstatement off and on for 2 more seasons. During 1909 he played neither rugby league nor rugby union but did play some club soccer. In 1910 he played 2 matches for Britannia against the Bluff rugby league club, scoring 2 tries and kicking a conversion. Hughes then earned national selection and on 30 July 1910 he played for New Zealand in a Test against a touring Great Britain side. He scored the final try for New Zealand in a 52–20 loss. It was reported that in the hooker position he was "securing the ball n nearly every scrum... Hughes played brilliantly from end to end of the match and justified his reputation in every way". He played 2 more matches for Britannia against the Bluff side before being selected to play for Southland against the touring Auckland side. Auckland won the match 17–12 at Queens Park, Invercargill with 2,000 spectators in attendance. Hughes was then chosen in a combined Southland/Otago side to play Auckland 3 days later. The match was played at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin and Auckland won 3018 with Hughes kicking a conversion in the losing side. The 1911 season saw Hughes named as the deputy captain of the Brittania club and on the general committee however he decided to concentrate on boxing. He was already a well known wrestler in the area and was joining his brother J.J Hughes in the sport who became a New Zealand amateur boxing champion. He was selected for the New Zealand tour of Australia but decided not to travel because of his boxing commitments. Tragedy struck his family on 26 October when his brother Patrick drowned in the Oreti River. He had played rugby for Britannia prior to their switching codes, and he later played rugby for the Athletic club. He and his two brothers (Ned and Michael) were crossing the river at Otatara to the flaxmill. The flat bottomed boat they were in was tipped over in heavy winds and rough water. Ned attempted to save him after diving into the water but he lost consciousness and "woke up in bed". It was described later that he had washed up onshore and