The 1968 New Zealand rugby league season was the 61st season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.

International competitions

New Zealand co-hosted the World Cup with Australia. The Kiwis lost to Great Britain, France and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The team was coached by

Des Barchard Desmond Alfred Barchard is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer, and coach who represented and coached New Zealand. Barchard was the coach of the Kiwis in the 1968 and 1972 World Cups. His uncle, Len Barchard also played for New Zealand, ...

and consisted of Jim Bond (c), Eric Carson,

Gary Clarke Gary Clarke (born Clarke Frederick L'Amoreaux; August 16, 1933) is an American actor best known for his role as Steve Hill in the NBC western television series '' The Virginian'' with James Drury and Doug McClure. Early life Clarke was born in ...

, Oscar Danielson, Kevin Dixon,

Spencer Dunn Spencer Dunn is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1968 World Cup. Playing career Dunn was originally from the West Coast but moved to Christchurch to play for Papanui in the Canterbury Rugby Le ...

Doug Ellwood Doug Ellwood is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1968 World Cup. Playing career Ellwood originally played for Ellerslie. During the Auckland Rugby League's "district era" he represented Eastern ...

, Anthony Kriletich, Brian Lee, Colin McMaster,

Robert Mincham Robert Mincham is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1968 World Cup. His father, Ted, was also a New Zealand international, while his grandfather, William Mincham played for Auckland and later becam ...

Colin O'Neil Colin O'Neil is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and Coach (sport), coached in the 1970s. He represented New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand in the 1968 Rugby L ...

, Paul Schultz,

Ray Sinel Ray Sinel is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1968 World Cup. Playing career A member of the Ellerslie club, Sinel played for combined Eastern United side in the Auckland Rugby League competitio ...

, Gary Smith,

Roger Tait Roger Tait is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup, 1968 World Cup. Playing career Tait grew up in Huntly, New Zealand, Huntly and pl ...

, Henry Tatana and

Ernie Wiggs Ernest David "Ernie" Wiggs ( – 10 October 2014) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand in the 1968 World Cup. Playing career Wiggs played for Otahuhu in the Auckland Rugby League competition. An Auckland representa ...

. New South Wales Country toured New Zealand, losing to Southern Zone 12–10, Northern Zone 13-5 and New Zealand Māori 18–12. The NSWRL Premiership winning South Sydney Rabbitohs toured the country, defeating the

Auckland Rugby League The Auckland Rugby League (ARL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region, including both club and school rugby league. It began in 1910 when the fi ...

champion Mount Albert Lions 27–13, Ponsonby 31-1 and Auckland Māori 33–14.

won the New Zealand Rugby League's player of the year award.

National competitions

Northern Union Cup

Canterbury held the Northern Union Cup at the end of the season. Auckland lost the trophy 16–3 to the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

Wingham Park Wingham Park is a rugby league stadium in Greymouth, New Zealand. The ground is owned by the West Coast Rugby League. History Wingham Park is the home of rugby league on the West Coast and hosts the West Coast Rugby League grand final each year. ...

. The West Coast then defended it 19–12 against Canterbury at

. However, they lost the return match 13–7 at the Addington Showgrounds and Canterbury regained the trophy. Canterbury defended the trophy against

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 reg ...

, winning 35–11.

Inter-district competition

Auckland won the Rothmans trophy, beating Wellington 28–4 in the final.Sky Rugby League Annual '98 ''New Zealand Rugby League'', 1998 Auckland defeated Canterbury 29-15 during Queen's Birthday weekend.

Roger Bailey Charles Roger Bailey (born October 3, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played for the Colorado Rockies from 1995 to 1997. A native of Chattahoochee, Florida, Bailey attended Chattahoochee High School, ...

Mike McClennan Michael James McClennan (26 January 1944 – October 2019) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer and coach who played for the New Zealand national team And Michael was also known as one of the top Rugby League Coaches and Mentors of his decad ...

, Dennis Key, Ken McCracken, John Sparnon, Gary Woollard,

Victor Yates Victor Francis Yates (19 April 1900 – 19 January 1969) was a British pacifist Labour Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham, Ladywood from the July 1945 general election, when he beat the Unionist incumben ...

Bill Burgoyne William John Edward Burgoyne (20 December 1946 – 16 November 1999) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand in the 1972 Rugby League World Cup, 1972 World Cup. Playing career Burg ...

Doug Gailey Doug Gailey (died 6 February 2007) is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1970 and 1972 World Cups. Boxing career Gailey boxed as a middleweight and won the Auckland Intermediate Middleweight title ...

, Ray Williams, Ray Wilson,

Robert Orchard Robert Orchard is a freelance British journalist and lecturer. One of three children born to a Devonshire farmer and a Welsh nurse, he was educated at a grammar school in mid-Devon and read Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) at Corpus ...

Tony Kriletich Anthony Peter "Tony" Kriletich (22 March 1944 – 21 May 2016) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand national rugby league team, New Zealand in the 1968 Rugby League World Cup, 1968 and 1970 Rugby League World Cup, 197 ...

and Eric Carson played for Auckland.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009'', 2009. . Canterbury included Graeme Cooksley,

Brian Langton Brian Joseph Langton (born 24 January 1948) is a former Australian Labor Party politician, who served both as mayor of Kogarah in the St George area of Sydney and as the member for Kogarah in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. In 1998 Lan ...

, Arthur Gillman,

Bill Noonan William Patrick NoonanNOONAN, William Patrick 1967, 1969 - Kiwi #460< ...

, captain Jim White,

and Leo Brown.

Club competitions

Auckland

Mt Albert won the

's Fox Memorial Trophy, defeating Ponsonby 12–7 in the grand final.Lion Red Rugby League Annual 1990 ''New Zealand Rugby League'', 1990. p. 72 Ponsonby won the Rukutai Shield, while Ellerslie won the Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield. Mount Wellington won the Sharman Cup. John Young, from Ellerslie, won the

Lipscombe Cup The Auckland Rugby League competition has been competed for since 1909 when the first organised match was played between North Shore and City Rovers (won 44–22 by North Shore). The following year an official champion was crowned for the first tim ...

while Tony Kriletich, from Marist, won the

Rothville Trophy The Auckland Rugby League competition has been competed for since 1909 when the first organised match was played between North Shore and City Rovers (won 44–22 by North Shore). The following year an official champion was crowned for the first tim ...

, from Otahuhu, again won the Painter Rosebowl Trophy.Otahuhu Rovers Rugby League Football and Sports Club Inc
''aucklandleague.co.nz'' The University of Auckland club fielded its first senior side, coached by former Kiwi

Jack Fagan John Edward "Jack" Fagan (21 June 1933 – 30 November 2015) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand. Playing career Fagan played for Ponsonby and represented Auckland. He was part of the Auckland side that defea ...

. The Pakuranga club was formed as a feeder club to Ellerslie.History
''ellerslieleague.co.nz'' Ponsonby included

and

Wellington

Randwick won the

Wellington Rugby League Wellington Rugby League is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of Rugby league in the Greater Wellington region. It is responsible for the local competition of the same name, as well as its representative team, the Wellingto ...

's Appleton Shield.

Canterbury

Linwood won the Canterbury Rugby League's Pat Smith Challenge Trophy, defeating Papanui 9–7 in extra time in the Grand Final. Addington and Papanui had shared the Massetti Cup as minor premiers while Eastern Suburbs won the Gore Cup. The Christchurch club renamed itself Eastern Suburbs.Coffey, John. ''Canterbury XIII'', Christchurch, 1987. Marist also became Marist-Western Suburbs. Jim Toki (Papanui) won the A.G.Bailey Challenge Cup as leading tryscorer while John Rosanowski (Linwood) won the Turner and Le Brun Cup as leading goalscorer. Jim Bond,

and

played for Papanui.

Other Competitions

Runanga defeated Linwood 5–0 to win the Thacker Shield.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1968 New Zealand Rugby League Season New Zealand rugby league seasons