Roy Christian
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fletcher Roy Christian | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 19?? | Otahuhu | |||||
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 19?? | Auckland | |||||
| 1964 | New Zealand Māori | |||||
| 1965–1972 | New Zealand | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Source: RLP | ||||||
Fletcher Roy Christian MBE[1] is a New Zealand retired international rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s. A centre three-quarter, he captained his country in the sport.
Christian was born in Auckland to Norfolk Island parents and is a direct descendant to Fletcher Christian.[2]
Playing career
Christian played his first Test match in 1965 against Australia. While playing for Otahuhu in 1966, Christian was awarded the Lipscombe Cup for Premier One sportsman of the year. However, injury caused him to the 1968 World Cup.[3]
Christian was part of the Auckland side that defeated Australia in 1969.[4] He was appointed captain of the New Zealand national side in 1970 and played in that year's World Cup.[3]
In 1971 Christian captained New Zealand to a famous victory against Australia at Carlaw Park.[5] Also in 1971, his Kiwis side became the first New Zealand touring team to win a test series in Britain.[6]
The 1972 World Cup was the last time Christian represented New Zealand.[7] He retired with little fanfare as no test matches were scheduled for 1973.[3] He had played in 74 matches for the Kiwis, including 32 tests.
Christian also captained the New Zealand Māori rugby league team.[8]
Later years
Christian was awarded a MBE in the 1972 Queen's Birthday Honours.[3]
After retirement Christian served as the Otahuhu Leopards chairman before becoming a Minister in the Presbyterian Church.[3]
In 2007 he was inducted as one of the New Zealand Rugby League's "Legends of League".[9]
References
- ↑ Otahuhu Rovers Rugby League Football and Sports Club Inc at the Auckland Rugby League website
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Three Kiwi greats inducted into New Zealand Legends of League rleague.com, 17 April 2007
- ↑ 1969: Referee, and Kangaroos, crash Auckland Rugby League
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
External links
- Past Kiwis Caps - C at NZRL.co.nz
- Articles with dead external links from September 2010
- Infobox rugby league biography templates needing updating
- New Zealand rugby league players
- New Zealand people of English descent
- New Zealand Māori rugby league players
- New Zealand Māori rugby league team players
- New Zealand national rugby league team players
- New Zealand national rugby league team captains
- Otahuhu Leopards players
- Auckland rugby league team players
- New Zealand rugby league administrators
- New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
- New Zealand Presbyterian ministers
- Living people
