Ron Ackland

Ron Ackland
Personal information
Full name Ronald Charles Ackland
Playing information
Position Centre, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Mt Wellington
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Auckland
1954–1963 New Zealand 18 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
Mt Wellington
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1977–1978 New Zealand 6 1 0 5 17
Source: RLP

Ronald Charles "Ron" Ackland is a New Zealand former rugby league player and coach who represented his country in the 1957 and 1960 World Cups and coached his country in the 1977 World Cup. His nephew, John, also played for New Zealand.[1]

Contents

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Playing career

Ackland was a Mt Wellington player. During the Auckland Rugby League's District era he played for Eastern Districts. In 1960 Ackland won the inaugural Rothville Trophy for player of the year, a feat he repeated in 1961.

He was selected for New Zealand in 1954 and went on to play in 18 test matches for the Kiwis. He was part of the 1957 and 1960 World Cup squads. He captained the Kiwis twice in 1961.[2] Ackland, along with Neville Denton and Gary Phillips, withdrew from the 1961 tour of Great Britain due to a dispute over allowances.[3]

Coaching career

After retirement Ackland became Mt Wellington's head coach. In 1976 he won the Hyland Memorial Cup as the Auckland Rugby League's coach of the year.

Ackland became the coach of New Zealand in 1977, taking the squad to the 1977 World Cup. In his two year reign the Kiwis won 1 out of six test matches.

Awards

Ackland was inducted as a New Zealand Rugby League "Legend of League" in 1995.[4] He is an Auckland Rugby League Immortal.[5]

In 2009 he was named in the New Zealand Rugby League Team of the Century in the second row.[6]

References

  1. ^ Rattue, Chris. "48 hours: Sonny Bill - the future and a reminder of league's follies". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/48-hours-weekend-sport-review/news/article.cfm?c_id=805&objectid=10115130. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
  2. ^ Ackland, Ronald Charles 1954 - 1963 - Kiwi #354 nzleague.co.nz
  3. ^ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 9781869693664.
  4. ^ Legends of League New Zealand Rugby League
  5. ^ Stacey Jones, Auckland Rugby League Immortal est1995.co.nz, 21 September 2003
  6. ^ "Graham is best in 100 years". The Sunday Star-Times. 2 December 2007. http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/155489. Retrieved 5 November 2011. 
Preceded by
George Menzies
Coach
New Zealand Kiwis

1977-1978
Succeeded by
Ces Mountford