Dane O'Hara

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Dane O'Hara
Personal information
Full name Dane Bradford Mark O'Hara
Born New Zealand
Playing information
Position Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19?? Bay Roskill (ARL)
1982–1990 Hull
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19??–1981 Auckland
1977–1986 New Zealand 36 15 0 0 49
Source: RLP
Dane Bradford Mark O'Hara is a former rugby league player who represented both New Zealand. At the time of his retirement he held the record for most international matches for his country.

Early years

O'Hara attended St. Paul's College in Auckland and played for the Bay Roskill Vikings when they amalgamated in 1979.[1] He toured Australia in 1973 with the Auckland under-23 side.[2]

Playing career

After establishing himself in the Auckland Rugby League competition and representing Auckland, O'Hara moved to England and joined Hull in 1981, playing alongside fellow Kiwis Gary Kemble and James Leuluai and then, from 1983, another New Zealand Captain Fred Ah Kuoi. His Hull career, debuting on 27/9/81 when 16,159 turned out to the Boulevard to see both Dane and James Leuluai debut in a 42–24 win(Gary Kemble had already appeared) against Castleford, had otherwise got off to an unlucky start when Dane suffered a punctured / collapsed lung after being hit by the knee of a Castleford player. He was fortunate to recover quickly, missing only three games, and went on to play 9 seasons for the club and to the age of 35, becoming an automatic choice in the Hull line up. Achievements in that first year included helping Hull to win the John Player Trophy, also being Premiership runners and of course to lift the Challenge Cup in 1982, the first time the Challenge Cup had been back at the Boulevard since 1914. Recognised throughout the game as a true gentleman, both on and off the field, by the time he left Hull for Doncaster in 1990, where sadly injuries restricted him to just 8 appearances, no overseas player had ever made more appearances or scored more trys for Hull than Dane O'Hara.

Amongst his many outstanding performances he played in the 1982 14–14 Challenge Cup draw with Widnes at Webley (attendance 92,147) before being ruled out of the 18–9 replay win at Elland Road, attendance 41,171 after injury, and despite always starting to far away to have ever caught him and prevented the try he refused to give up, chasing Stuart Wright across the entire field and into the corner, making for the missed kick, then later scoring the 72nd minute try which tied the match and set up Hulls winning replay, the first time the Cup had returned to the Boulevard since 1914. Also the classic 1984–85 Challenge Cup, still widely considered the best Wembley Challenge Cup final ever and captained the side in his final full season, 1990, leading Hull to a (losing) Premiership final play off at Old Trafford.

Such was the commitment of those early Kiwis to British Rugby League that in 1986 the Government and Rugby Football League agreed to change rules and bye laws to enable such overseas players to qualify as none quota players. When Hull hit financial difficulties and were forced to sell Lee Crooks to Leeds for a then record fee Dane agreed to take a pay cut in his contract renewal, staying with Hull through good times and bad. He deservedly received a testimonial year in 1989 / 1990, having achieved a remarkable 300 appearances for Club and Country, becoming the first overseas player ever to be awarded such a benefit.

His final game in the UK was for Doncaster in January 1992.

Dane O'Hara also played for New Zealand, debuting in the 1977 World Cup and captained the side v Australia on the 1980 tour. He was the fastest sprinter in New Zealands 1980 tour of Britain party, scoring most tries (6) and making most appearances (9 plus 2 as sub)on tour. He finished his international career with a total of 36 tests, 75 appearances and 15 tries*—equaling Phil Orchards long standing record.[3]

  • Some online records appear to suggest 14 tries rather than Thomas clear statement on 15 and matching Longdons record, tries, clearly identified tries are therefore as follows:
  • 1 (penalty) try v Australia 15/7/78 score Australia 38 NZ 7
  • 1 try 22/7/78 Australia 33, NZ 16
  • 2 tries v Papua New Guinea 30/7/78 - score NZ 30, PNG 21
  • 1 try 11/8/79 NZ 18 GB 11
  • 1 try France 3 NZ 11 on 7/12/80
  • 1 try NZ 25 France 2 on 21/6/81
1980 Tour of GB
  • 2 tries v Hull FC, score Hull 10 New Zealand 33 5/10/80, Boothferry Park, attendance 15,945 - making it the highest attendance of the tour, including the tests -
  • 1 try in the 2nd test at Odsal stadium,Bradford on 2/11/80 Great Britain 8 New Zealand 12
  • 2 tries 5/11/80 V Great Britain U24's at Fulham
  • 1 try 9/11/80 Widnes 14, New Zealand 7
1984 tests v Great Britain
  • 3 tries - stated to have been 1 try in each of the 2nd and 3rd tests in [4] though rugby league project site shows 2 in the first test and 1 in the second(see ref 6)
  • 1 try in the 1st test v Great Britain at Headingley, Leeds on 19/10/85[5]
  • 1 try 24/11/85 New Zealand 22 France 0
  • 1 try 19/7/86 New Zealand 12 Australia 29

1 try 10/8/86 New Zealand 36 Papua New Guinea 26

Dane Ohara therefore scored at least 20 tries including 15 (1 penalty try)in international matchess, 2 v GB U24 and 3 v English clubs for New Zealand.[6]

Representative career

O'Hara was first selected for the New Zealand Kiwis in 1977, playing in the 1977 World Cup. He went on to play thirty six test matches between 1977 and 1986, captaining the Kiwis twice 1980.

Testimonial match

Dane O'Hara's Testimonial match at Hull took place in 1990.

References

  1. ↑ Bay Roskill Rugby League Inc aucklandleague.co.nz
  2. ↑ Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4. p. 224.
  3. ↑ Hull FC 100 Greats by Raymond Fletcher, 1992 ISBN 978-0752424293and Rothmans rugby league year books 1981–82 and 86–87 Dane O'Hara testimonial brochure–Alan Thomas, Daily Express
  4. ↑ Dane O'Hara Testimonial brochure
  5. ↑ Rothmans rugby leage year book 1986-87
  6. ↑ http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Custom/MzEtLS0tLS0tLTY5MjItLS0tLXktLS0tLS0t

External links

New Zealand squad – 1988 Rugby League World Cup Finalists
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