Ron Ackland facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Ronald Charles Ackland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 27 December 1934 Auckland, New Zealand |
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| Died | 25 October 2013 (aged 78) Auckland, New Zealand |
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Playing information
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| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre, Second-row | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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Ronald Charles Ackland (born 27 December 1934 – died 25 October 2013) was a famous New Zealand rugby league player and coach. He played rugby league in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Ron also coached teams during the 1960s and 1970s.
He played for the New Zealand "Kiwis" in the 1957 and 1960 World Cups. Later, he coached the New Zealand team in the 1977 World Cup. Ron's nephew, John, also played for New Zealand.
Contents
Playing Rugby League
Ron Ackland was a talented player for the Mt Wellington team. He also played for Eastern Districts during the Auckland Rugby League's District era.
Top Player Awards
Ron was a very important player.
- In 1960, he won the first-ever Rothville Trophy. This award is for the best player of the year.
- He won the Rothville Trophy again in 1961, showing how skilled he was.
Ron also played for the Mount Albert Lions. In 1961, he was the captain of the City Newton Dragons team.
Playing for New Zealand
Ron was chosen to play for the New Zealand "Kiwis" in 1954. He played in 18 international matches for his country.
He was part of the New Zealand squads for the 1957 and 1960 World Cups. In 1961, Ron was even the captain of the Kiwis twice.
Moving to Australia
After playing in New Zealand, Ron moved to a country area in New South Wales, Australia. He became a player-coach for two teams there:
- He led the Goulburn team from 1965 to 1970.
- He then coached the Inverell team from 1971 to 1973.
Coaching Rugby League
After he stopped playing, Ron became a successful coach.
Coaching Club Teams
He returned to his old club, Mt Wellington, as their head coach.
- In 1976, he won the Hyland Memorial Cup. This award is given to the best coach in the Auckland Rugby League.
Coaching the National Team
Ron became the coach of the New Zealand "Kiwis" in 1977. He led the team in the 1977 World Cup. During his two years as coach, the Kiwis won one out of six international matches.
Later Life and Legacy
Ron Ackland is remembered as a true legend of rugby league.
- In 1995, he was named a "Legend of League" by New Zealand Rugby League.
- He is also considered an "Immortal" of the Auckland Rugby League, which is a very high honor.
- In 2009, Ron was chosen for the New Zealand Rugby League Team of the Century. He was named in the second row position.
Ron Ackland passed away on 25 October 2013, at the age of 78. He died in his hometown of Auckland after having heart surgery.
