Ian Grey (rugby league)

Ian Neville Grey (6 April 1931 – 7 July 2009) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1954 World Cup.

Ian Grey

Personal information
Full name	Ian Neville Grey
Born	6 April 1931 Auckland, New Zealand
Died	9 July 2009 (aged 78) Blairgowrie, Victoria, Australia
Playing information
Position	Fullback, Second-row, Loose forward
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1948 Richmond 3 1948–56 Point Chevalier 1957–58 Northern Districts Total 3 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1951–58 Auckland 1954 North Island 1954–56 New Zealand 3 2 0 0 6
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1958 Northern Districts 1967–68 Ponsonby Total 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1967–68 Auckland
Source: [1]

Early life

Born in Auckland in 1931,[2] Grey was the son of New Zealand rugby league representative Eric Grey and was a noted tennis player in his youth.

Playing career

Grey played in the Auckland Rugby League competition as a loose forward, first playing three games for Richmond in 1948 before moving to Point Chevalier between 1948 and 1956. He then captained Northern Districts in 1957 and was captain-coach in 1958. Northern Districts was a combination of North Shore and Northcote.

Grey represented Auckland from 1951 to 1958 and the North Island in 1954. He first played for the New Zealand national rugby league team at the 1954 World Cup, playing in one test at fullback. He also played two test matches on the 1955-1956 tour of Great Britain and France.[3]

Coaching career

Grey coached Ponsonby to runners-up in the 1967 Auckland Rugby League championship before winning the competition in 1968. He also coached Auckland between 1967 and 1968.[3]

Later years

Grey later moved to Australia and served as the Victorian Rugby League Chairman between 1988 and 1993. He died in Blairgowrie, Victoria, on 7 July 2009 after a short battle with cancer.[3]

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. "Births". New Zealand Herald. 11 April 1931. p. 1. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
3. "Obituaries: Ian Neville Grey". New Zealand Rugby League. July 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2014.