Ray Ritchie

Ray Ritchie (31 October 1936 – 13 March 2015) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, and coached in the 1980s. A New South Wales state and Australia national representative three-quarter back, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League Premiership for Sydney's Manly-Warringah club, becoming their coach after retirement from playing.[4]

For the Australian rules footballer, see Ray Ritchie (Australian rules footballer).

Ray Ritchie

Personal information
Born	31 October 1936 Paddington, New South Wales
Died	13 March 2015(2015-03-13) (aged 78)
Playing information
Position	Wing, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1955–59 Manly-Warringah 49 37 0 0 111 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1958 City NSW 1 0 0 0 0 1957 New South Wales 2 3 0 0 9 1957 Australia 1 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1981–82 Manly-Warringah 53 32 19 2 60
Source: [1][2][3]

Playing career

Ritchie started playing first-grade for Sydney's Manly-Warringah club during the 1955 NSWRFL season.[5] At the end of the following year, he was selected to play on the wing for a Combined Sydney team, scoring a try in their win against a touring Māori rugby league team.[6] In 1957 he played for New South Wales against Queensland and made it into the Australian squad for the 1957 World Cup, becoming Kangaroo No. 334.[7] Later in the year Ritchie was selected to play for Manly-Warringah in the 1957 NSWRFL season's grand final on the wing, but St. George won.

Coaching career

Ritchie was appointed head coach of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles for the 1981 NSWRFL season and under him the club was back in the semi-finals that year.[8] The following year Manly reached the grand final, but Ritchie stood down before the 1983 season, and was succeeded by Bob Fulton.[9]

His daughter Donna attended the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Paralympics as a wheelchair basketballer and won a silver medal in 2000.[10]

References

1. Rugby League Project Coaching
2. Rugby League Project
3. "Ray Ritchie". stats.rleague.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
4. http://www.seaeagles.com.au/news/2015/03/13/vale_ray_ritchie.html
5. "Ray Ritchie". yesterdayshero.com.au. SmartPack International. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
6. "Sydney Outclasses Maoris 37-7". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 September 1956. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
7. "Australian Players Register" (PDF). Annual Report - 2005. Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
8. Sean Fagan. "Manly Warringah Sea Eagles History". manlyfootballclub.com.au. Manly-Warringah Rugby League Football Club. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
9. Whiticker, lan. "Ray Ritchie". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
10. "Vale Ray Ritchie". Manly Sea Eagles News, 13 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.

Preceded by Allan Thomson 1980	Coach Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 1981–1982	Succeeded by Bob Fulton 1983–1988