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Bill Whitehead
William Albert Whitehead (19 August 1931 – 15 January 2021) was a New Zealand sports administrator who was involved in rugby league for more than 70 years. He also worked in horse racing and bowls. He received the Queen's Service Medal in 1987. He also played one game for Marist, and played with University for one season. Life and career He is arguably the most decorated man in Rugby League, being the holder of nine life memberships, both the senior and schoolboys boards of Canterbury and West Coast, his club Marist and NZ Marist Rugby League Association of which he was President for a record eight years, and patron when it was disbanded by President/Secretary Ross Lipscombe in 2000. He was selected as winner of Nelson/Stewart Challenge Trophy as Personality of Tournament at the last NZ Marist tournament in 1997 in Wellington. He was manager of the NZ Marist team to Australia in 1979. Whitehead was Deputy Chairman of Canterbury Schoolboys board in 1964, but was headhunte ...
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Queen's Service Medal
The Queen's Service Medal is a medal awarded by the government of New Zealand to recognise and reward volunteer service to the community and also public service in elected or appointed public office. It was established in 1975 and is related to the Queen's Service Order. The QSM replaced the Imperial Service Medal as an award of New Zealand. Appearance 1975–2007 The original medal was made of sterling silver, in diameter. The obverse bears the same effigy of The Queen as the badge of the Queen's Service Order. Surrounding the effigy are the Royal styles and titles "ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F.D.". The reverse depicts the New Zealand Coat of Arms surrounded by the inscription "The Queen's Service Medal" and the name of the sub-division either "for Community Service" or "for Public Services". The initials and name of the recipient is engraved on the rim of the Medal. The medals were made by the Royal Mint. 2007–present The current medal is also made of sterling silve ...
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Rugby League
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112–122 metres (122 to 133 yards) long with H shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union. It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union over the issue of payments to players.Tony Collins, ''Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain'' (2006), p.3 The rules of the game governed by the new Northern Rugby Football Union progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended. Due to its high-velocity contact, cardio-based endurance and minimal use of body protection, rugby league i ...
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Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metro area, and is the administrative centre of the Wellington Region. It is the world's southernmost capital of a sovereign state. Wellington features a temperate maritime climate, and is the world's windiest city by average wind speed. Legends recount that Kupe discovered and explored the region in about the 10th century, with initial settlement by Māori iwi such as Rangitāne and Muaūpoko. The disruptions of the Musket Wars led to them being overwhelmed by northern iwi such as Te Āti Awa by the early 19th century. Wellington's current form was originally designed by Captain William Mein Smith, the first Surveyor General for Edward Wakefield's New Zealand Company, in 1840. The Wellington urban area, which only includes urbanised ar ...
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Kiwi (people)
"Kiwi" ( ) is a common self-reference used by New Zealanders, though it is also used internationally. Unlike many demographic labels, its usage is not considered offensive; rather, it is generally viewed as a symbol of pride and affection for most people of New Zealand. The name derives from the kiwi, a native flightless bird, which is a national symbol of New Zealand. Until the First World War, the kiwi represented the country and not the people; however, by 1917, New Zealanders were also being called "Kiwis", supplanting other nicknames such as "Enzedder". History The kiwi has long had a special significance for the indigenous Māori people, who used its skin to make feather cloaks () for chiefs. The bird first came to European attention in 1811 when a skin ended up in the hands of a British Museum zoologist, George Shaw, who classified it as a type of penguin and portrayed it as standing upright. After early sightings by Europeans the kiwi was regarded as a curiosity; in 183 ...
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Lory Blanchard
David Lory Blanchard (4 September 1924 – 1 January 2013) was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league football player who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand in the 1954 World Cup and coached them at the 1970 World Cup. Early years Blanchard was born in Roxburgh on 4 September 1924, the son of David Blanchard and Doris Elizabeth Blanchard (née Lory) of Ettrick, and grew up in Otago. He made his rugby union first class debut for North Otago in 1939, aged 15. During World War II he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy and served as a stoker on HMNZS ''Achilles''."Blanchard gave lifetime's service to sport"
stuff.co.nz, 5 January 2013; Retrieved 22 September 2014.
After the war, Blanchard worked for the

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Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government region. Its population was The name "Otago" is the local southern Māori dialect pronunciation of "Ōtākou", the name of the Māori village near the entrance to Otago Harbour. The exact meaning of the term is disputed, with common translations being "isolated village" and "place of red earth", the latter referring to the reddish-ochre clay which is common in the area around Dunedin. "Otago" is also the old name of the European settlement on the harbour, established by the Weller Brothers in 1831, which lies close to Otakou. The upper harbour later became the focus of the Otago Association, an offshoot of the Free Church of Scotland, notable for its adoption of the principle that ordinary people, not the landowner, should choose the ministe ...
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George Nēpia
George Nēpia (25 April 1905 – 27 August 1986) was a New Zealand Māori rugby union and rugby league player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers television show. Nēpia was featured in a set of postage stamps from the New Zealand post office in 1990. Historian Philippa Mein Smith described him as "New Zealand rugby's first superstar". Early life Nēpia was born in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay. While his birth certificate stated that Nēpia was born in 1905, he later claimed to have been born in 1908. (Furthermore, in a 1924 passport application, he claimed that he was born on July 25, 1904, in Nūhaka, east of Wairoa.) After finishing primary school in Nūhaka, Nēpia was to attend Te Aute College but went to the nearby Maori Agricultural College instead. In 1926, Nēp ...
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Hornby, New Zealand
Hornby is a major residential and retail suburb at the western edge of Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb is directly connected to other parts of Christchurch and the South Island by a number of main arterial routes, including State Highway 1 and the Christchurch Southern Motorway. History European settlement During the early stages of European settlement, Hornby was originally referred to as Southbridge Junction – with the junction acting as the start of the main road south. Due to rising confusion with the nearby town of Southbridge, a decision was made to rename the area to Hornby in 1878, although the origins of this name are unclear. One explanation holds that the suburb was named after Hornby-with-Farleton in Lancashire by Frederick William Delamain, who came to Christchurch from England in 1852. Delamain owned a nearby homestead, which gave its name to the nearby suburb of Yaldhurst, and was a prominent figure in the area during the latter half of the 19th centur ...
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1977 Rugby League World Cup
The 1977 Rugby League World Cup was the eighth Rugby League World Cup tournament and was held in Australasia, with games played during May and June in both Australia and New Zealand. It featured four teams: Great Britain and France in addition to the two host nations. All teams played each other once, resulting in a top two of Great Britain and Australia who played in the tournament final at the Sydney Cricket Ground with the home team winning by one point. The tournament was held during the 1977 NSWRFL season and 1977 New Zealand rugby league season. That the final would be between Great Britain and Australia soon became obvious, with France and New Zealand both performing poorly. Teams Venues Matches Group stage Final After their 19–5 win over Great Britain a week earlier at Lang Park in Brisbane (which actually drew 2,543 more fans than the Final), the Australians went into the Final as warm favourites. However, led by experienced ...
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1974 Commonwealth Games
The 1974 British Commonwealth Games ( mi, 1974 Taumāhekeheke Commonwealth) were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The Games were officially named "the friendly games". There were 1,276 competitors and 372 officials, according to the official history, and public attendance was excellent. The main venue was the QEII Park, purpose-built for this event. The Athletics Stadium and fully covered Olympic standard pool, diving tank, and practice pools were all on the one site. The theme song was " Join Together", sung by Steve Allen. The Games were held after the 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Dunedin for wheelchair athletes. Host selection Preparation Security The Games were the first large international athletic event after the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The Athletes Village, the Student accommodation of the University of Canterbu ...
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Mel Cooke
Melville Lance Cooke (30 May 1934 – 5 September 2013) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand twenty three times between 1959 and 1964. Playing career Cooke was a member of the Hornby club in the Canterbury Rugby League competition. He was the player-coach when Hornby made the national tournament finals in 1962 and 1964 and when they won the Thacker Shield in 1964. A Canterbury rugby league team, Canterbury and South Island rugby league team, South Island representative, in 1962 Cooke was captain of the first Canterbury team to win the Rugby League Cup, Northern Union Cup from Auckland at the Rugby League Park, Addington Showgrounds. Cooke played in 23 games for New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand, including at the 1960 Rugby League World Cup, 1960 World Cup. He played in eighteen consecutive tests between 1960 and 1964. Cooke was the captain for the last three seasons before accepting a player ...
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