kids encyclopedia robot

Bernie Wood facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Bernard Joseph Wood (9 December 1939 – 28 April 2013) was an important person in New Zealand rugby league and a sports historian. He was given a special award, the Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for all his hard work in sports.

About Bernard Wood

Bernard Wood was born in a town called Greymouth in 1939. He went to school at Marist Brothers Boys' School there. When he was a young boy in 1954, he was even part of the New Zealand Schoolboys rugby league team!

Later, Bernard moved to Wellington. He spent 24 years working for the Wellington Rugby League. He was either the secretary-treasurer or the chairman, which are important leadership roles. In 1992, he also became the deputy chairman for the main New Zealand Rugby League organisation.

Bernard was very interested in the history of sports. He loved learning and writing about rugby league and harness racing in New Zealand. He wrote several books about these sports. From 1977 to 2002, he was also the editor of the New Zealand Rugby League Annual, which is like a yearly book about the sport.

In the year 2000, Bernard received a big honour. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This award recognised his amazing contributions to sport in New Zealand. In 2008, he was also made a life member of the New Zealand Rugby League, which is a special title for someone who has given a lot to the sport.

Bernard Wood sadly passed away from cancer in 2013 at his home in Whitby. He was buried at Whenua Tapu Cemetery in Pukerua Bay.

Books by Bernard Wood

Bernard Wood wrote or helped write several books about New Zealand sports history. Here are some of them:

  • Flying sulkies: a history of the New Zealand Trotting Cup 1904–1980. This book is about the history of a famous harness racing event.
  • The Cup 1904–2003: 100 years of the New Zealand Trotting Cup. This book continued the story of the same racing cup.
  • The Kiwis: 100 years of international rugby league (with John Coffey). This book tells the story of 100 years of New Zealand's international rugby league team.
  • 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908–2008 (with John Coffey). This book focuses on the history of Māori rugby league.
  • Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009 (with John Coffey). This book covers 100 years of rugby league in the Auckland region.
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Bernie Wood Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.