Bray to manage Kiwi test team

Press, 19 December 1986, Page 38

Bray to manage Kiwi test team

John Bray, a former Kiwi from Canterbury, is to be manager of the New Zealand rugby league test team against France and a New Zealand XIII in home-and-away matches against Queensland next season. A skilled and very consistent stand-off half, Mr Bray appeared in the last two tests of New Zealand’s clean sweep over, the 1964 French tourists. Mr Bray developed his talents with the Hornby club, from midgets to seniors. He would have had a more extensive international career and greatly increased his nine appearances for Canterbury but for university

studies and injuries. In 1981 Mr Bray, having transferred to Auckland, accepted an invitation to be Canterbury’s delegate to the New Zealand Rugby League council. He was elected a director when the national administration was restructured the next year.

The first Junior Kiwi team to tour Britain late next year will be managed by two West Coasters, Ted Gutberlet and Bernie Wood, and coached by Bob Bailey, of Auckland. It will be Mr Gutberlet’s second year as manager of the Junior Kiwis. The president of the West Coast Rugby League, Mr

Gutberlet was chosen as his province’s sports “administrator of the year” several weeks ago. Mr Wood was a schoolboy Kiwi from the West Coast, but lives in Wellington. He was a long-serving secretary of the Wellington Rugby League, and is now that body’s treasurer, and chairman of Central Districts.

Coaching the Junior Kiwis will be compensation for Mr Bailey’s surprise failure to gain charge of New Zealand’s test team when Tony Gordon (Bay of Plenty) was preferred. Mr Bailey was recently chosen for a fifth season as Auckland’s coach.