Kiwis shine in Britain

Press, 19 May 1989, Page 12

Kiwis shine in Britain

For the second consecutive season British rugby league teams have discovered the value of recruiting expatriate New Zealanders.

Every club which won an important first division trophy included at least one New Zealander, a feat also achieved in the 198889 northern season.

The Wigan quartet, Dean Bell, Kevin Iro, Tony Iro and Adrian Shelford, and their New Zealand coach, Graham Lowe, finished with an array of medals, mostly gold. Wigan’s sequence of successes began last October when Kevin Iro (two tries and three goals), Bell and Shelford (one try each) provided all the points in a 22-17 defeat of Salford in the Lancashire Cup final. Salford’s pack included two Kiwis, Peter Brown and Mark Horo, who had just arrived in England after the World Cup final.

Kevin Iro was a tryscorer when Wigan beat Widnes, 12-6, in the final of the John Player Trophy knock-out tournament.

The most glittering prize was, of course, the retention of the Challenge Cup, 27-0, at the expense of St Helens, which had Shane Cooper in its lineup. For the second time in as many appearances at Wembley Stadium Kevin Iro scored two tries.

Widnes gained compensation for its John Player Trophy defeat by heading off Wigan to retain the first division championship under the captaincy of Kurt Sorensen and with Emosi Koloto and Joe Grima also among the forwards.

Last Sunday all three were in action at Old Trafford when Widnes became the first club to complete a “double double" by also retaining the premiership (top eight play-off) title. The losing Hull side was captained by Dane O’Hara. But it was a former All Black, Mark BrookeCowden, who was the first New Zealand winner in the just completed British season.

Brooke-Cowden was in the Leeds team in its 3312 win over Castleford in last October’s Yorkshire Cup final. He was the only New Zealander in that encounter, Shane Horo not having arrived by then for his off-season stint at Castleford. Leeds has since released Brooke-Cowden. Leigh, which won the second division championship, had the services of a maximum three New Zealanders, Peter Ropati, George Mann and Robert Moi Moi. But their clearances expired on March 31 and without them Leigh failed to reach the second division premiership final.