R. C. Ackland: Success From. Determination

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30170, 29 June 1963, Page 9

R. C. Ackland: Success From. Determination

TN 1951 a lad left Mt. A Albert Grammar School with an ambition to play Rugby League. He met strong opposition from his parents. His mother, a Rugby Union supporter, wanted him to play Rugby or not play at all. The boy’s father, a soccer fan, agreed that the boy should not play League. He wanted him to play soccer.

But the boy refused and for 12 months an uneasy peace existed. Finally, his parents gave way, and Ronald Charles Ackland donned a League jersey for the first time.

Ackland began as a centre and it was in that position that he was to rise to fame and come into the public's eye for the first timet At the age of 20 he had a “dream” season. Selected for Auckland, Ackland scored three tries against Canterbury and two against West Coast to force his way into the New Zealand team for the second test against Great -Britain at Greymouth. During that 1954 season his deceptive running had made him the most dangerous Auckland back.

Aickdand. however, was not happy at centre. He considered that his 14 J stone made him too slow for a back and so he changed to the loose forward position. From there he shafted into his present position of second-row forward. By doing this he endangered his position in the New Zealand team, but the determination he had shown in has attempt to convince his parents had become evident in his play,

and this helped him to force his way back into toe Kiwis.

Although one of New Zealand’s fastest forwards. Ackland still believed that he was too slow. To counteract this he studied the arts of Rugby deception. His own play has shown that his belief that a deceptive player is superior to a faster man is correct His study of feinting, dummying and reverse passing has made him one of the most elusive forwards in the world. An added help to Ackland's football armoury are his enormous hands. They enable him to hold even the greasiest of balls and the most difficult of passes with ease. Their size enables him to carry the ball in only

one hand —an added deception to would-be tacklers. The strength and deterrent of his fend allows it to be compared to that of the former New Zealand centre, T. O. Baxter.

Playing in a decade in which there have been many good second-row forwards in New Zealand, Ackland has not had an easy road to international honours. To gain selection for New Zealand meant that he would have to be superior to Hammond, B. S. Lee (Auckland), and T. Kilkeliy (West Coast) at various stages of his career. Mainly because of this he has been in and out >of New Zealand teams, although now he is one of the first players selected.

He first lost his test place in 1956 on the tour of Australia. Ironically, it was also in Australia that he first showed that he was in world class. This was the 1959 tour, after which he went to England for the World Cup series the following year. Although a good club

captain (he led Eastern United to victory in the 1962 Rothman’s tournament) hie play seemed to suffer when he captained New Zealand against the 1961 Australian tourists. This lapse was only temporary, as he showed the fallowing season against Great Britain. His try in the first test broke up the solid British defence, which cracked even further later in the game, and allowed New Zealand to achieve an easy victory. Once more Ackland's determination had gained him the position that he richly deserves.