Ron Ackland

Ronald Charles Ackland (27 December 1934 − 25 October 2013) was a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and coached in the 1960s and 1970s, who represented New Zealand in the 1957 and 1960 World Cups, and coached New Zealand in the 1977 World Cup. His nephew, John, also played for New Zealand.[3]

Ron Ackland

Personal information
Full name	Ronald Charles Ackland
Born	(1934-12-27)27 December 1934 Auckland, New Zealand
Died	25 October 2013(2013-10-25) (aged 78) Auckland, New Zealand
Playing information
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	92 kg (203 lb)
Position	Centre, Second-row
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P Mt Wellington Mount Albert Lions 1961 City Newton 1965–70 Goulburn 1971–73 Inverell Total 0 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P Auckland 1954–63 New Zealand 18 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1965–1970 Goulburn 1971–1973 Inverell 1974–1976 Mt Wellington Total 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Gms W D L W% 1977–1978 New Zealand 6 1 0 5 17
Source: [1][2]

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. Ackland also played for the Mount Albert Lions and captained the City Newton Dragons in 1961.[4]

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.[5] Ackland, along with Neville Denton and Gary Phillips, withdrew from the 1961 tour of Great Britain due to a dispute over allowances.[6]

He then moved to the New South Wales country and was captain-coach of Goulburn between 1965 and 1970 and Inverell between 1971 and 1973.

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 one out of six test matches.

Later life and death

Ackland was inducted as a New Zealand Rugby League "Legend of League" in 1995.[7] He is an Auckland Rugby League Immortal.[8]

In 2009, he was named in the New Zealand Rugby League Team of the Century in the second row.[9]

Ackland died following complications from heart surgery on 25 October 2013, aged 78, in his hometown of Auckland.[10]

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. Rattue, Chris (14 March 2005). "48 hours: Sonny Bill - the future and a reminder of league's follies". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
4. Bruce Montgomerie Those Who Played, Montgomerie Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0646434071. p.16.
5. Ackland, Ronald Charles 1954 - 1963 - Kiwi #354 nzleague.co.nz
6. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
7. Legends of League Archived 2012-09-11 at Archive.today New Zealand Rugby League
8. Stacey Jones, Auckland Rugby League Immortal Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine est1995.co.nz, 21 September 2003
9. "Graham is best in 100 years". The Sunday Star-Times. 2 December 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
10. Legendary Ron Ackland passes away Archived 2013-10-31 at the Wayback Machine warriors.co.nz, 26 October 2013

Preceded by George Menzies	Coach New Zealand national rugby league team 1977-1978	Succeeded by Ces Mountford