| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Puhipi James Rukutai | |||||
| Born | New Zealand | |||||
| Died | 1940 | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Loose forward | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1909–1910 | City (ARL) | |||||
| 1911–19?? | Manukau (ARL) | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1909 | New Zealand Māori | |||||
| 1910–19?? | Auckland | |||||
| 1911–1919 | New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coaching information | ||||||
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Gms | W | D | L | W% |
| 1921 | New Zealand | |||||
| 1922–1937 | New Zealand Māori | |||||
Puhipi James "Jim" Rukutai[1] was a New Zealand rugby league player and coach who both represented and coached his country. The Auckland Rugby League's minor premiership, the Rukutai Shield, is named after him.
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Rukutai started his career playing rugby union and was part of George A. Gillett's Goldfields team that defeated Auckland in 1906.[2] Rukutai was working as a miner at the time.
Rukutai played for the City Rovers in the 1909 Auckland Rugby League competition and also toured Australia with the New Zealand Māori team.[3] He first made the New Zealand side in 1911, alongside former Union teammate George Gillett.[2]
Rukutai was the first captain of the Manukau Magpies when they entered the Auckland Rugby League competition in 1911.[4]
He toured Australia with New Zealand in 1911 and 1912 and his career continued after the War when he again toured Australia in 1919. However, Rukutai played in no Test matches as during this time New Zealand played matches against New South Wales and Queensland.
Rukutai coached New Zealand during their 1921 tour of Australia.[2]
He also coached New Zealand Māori between 1922 and 1937. In 1937 he coached the New Zealand Māori to an upset win over Australia.[2]
In 1932 Rukutai served on the Auckland Rugby League board as the Clubs' delegate.[3]
He then served as the first chairman of the New Zealand Māori Rugby League Board when it was formed in 1934.[2]
Shortly after his death in 1940, the Auckland Rugby League named their minor premiership the Rukutai Shield.
Rukutai was named one of the New Zealand Rugby League's Legends of League in 2008.[5]
| Preceded by George A. Gillett |
Coach New Zealand Kiwis 1921 |
Succeeded by Charlie Pearce |