Keith Bell (rugby league)

Keith George Bell was a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1957 World Cup. He played for and coached numerous sides and was heavily involved with the Ponsonby Ponies.

Keith Bell

Keith Bell in the 1970s
Personal information
Full name	Keith George Bell[1]
Born	8/10/1934 Auckland, New Zealand
Died	18/12/2017 Auckland, New Zealand
Playing information
Position	Utility, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 195?–1960 Ponsonby Ponies 1960–1963 Central Districts 1963–1968 Ponsonby Ponies 1968–19?? Northcote Total 0 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1955–1958 Auckland 1957 New Zealand 0 0 0 0 0

Early life

Bell was raised in Ponsonby, Auckland and attended Ponsonby Primary School and Seddon Memorial Technical College.

In 1954, he received a New Zealand Certificate of Due Completion of Apprenticeship and became a qualified carpenter.[2]

Playing career

Bell played for the Ponsonby Ponies in the Auckland Rugby League competition. In 1955 he was selected for Auckland and was part of the side that defeated the touring French side 17–15. In 1956 he toured the South Island with Auckland and in 1957 he was selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team (Kiwis) squad for the 1957 World Cup. Bell didn't play in a game at the tournament, however he was retrospectively described to someone who "might have been a valuable interchange player".[3] Later on he was numbered Kiwi 382.[1]

In 1958 Bell was part of the Auckland Rugby League's first ever Fox Memorial Grand Final, where the Ponsonby Ponies defeated Otahuhu 16–7.[4] The same year, Ponsonby also won the Rukutai Shield. These victories were followed by a Stormont Shield match against Marist where Ponsonby lost 22–29. Bell was sent off near the end of the match after disputing the referee's decision to send off teammate Joe Rātima.[5]

He again toured the South Island with Auckland that year beating West Coast 31–11 and Canterbury 36–15, and was part of the Auckland side that lost 17–24 to Great Britain.[5]

In 1968 Bell left Ponsonby to become a player-coach at Northcote.

Later life

After retiring Bell coached many sides including the Ponsonby Ponies and Northcote. He was later the chairman for the Ponsonby Ponies.[6] Bell stayed actively involved in rugby league for Ponsonby playing Golden Oldies into his 70s. In 2008 he helped organise the club's centenary - founded in 1908, the Ponsonby Ponies are the oldest rugby league club in New Zealand.[7]

References

1. "Kiwis Roll of Honour | NZRL". Retrieved 29 May 2020.
2. Imgur. "Keith George Bell Apprenticeship - Carpentry". Imgur. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
3. Coffey, John; Wood, Bernie (2006). The Kiwis: 100 Years of International Rugby League. Hachette Livre NZ. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-86971-090-3.
4. "Vale Keith Bell". www.aucklandleague.co.nz. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
5. Coffey, John; Wood, Bernie (2009). Auckland: 100 Years of Rugby League (1909–2009). Wellington, New Zealand: Huia Publishers. pp. 166, 170–172. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
6. "Oldest player counts down to centenary". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
7. "First league club set to mark centenary". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2020.