Ernest William "Bill" Cloke was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand.

Playing career

Bill Cloke began his career playing for

Otahuhu United Otahuhu United is a football club in Auckland, New Zealand. Otahuhu United was formed in 1975 as a breakaway side from the Courier Rangers club, formed by parents and junior players unhappy with the organisation of that club. Initially sited a ...

in 1916 playing 11 matches for their senior side. He played 2 further matches for them in the 1917 season before he transferred to the

Newton Rangers The City Newton Dragons are a defunct New Zealand rugby league club that was based at Victoria Park, Auckland. The club was created in 1948 by a merger of two original clubs, the City Rovers and Newton Rangers. Both the Rovers and the Rangers par ...

after the Otahuhu senior side folded mid season due to a lack of players through illness, injury, and players leaving for the war effort. Cloke played for New Zealand on the 1919 tour of Australia, where no test matches were played. On 24 July 1920 he played for Auckland against the touring Great Britain Lions. They won 24–16, becoming the first New Zealand team to defeat Great Britain on New Zealand soil.Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009'', 2009. .

Selector

Cloke later became a selector for Auckland in the 1940s.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cloke, William New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand national rugby league team players Auckland rugby league team players Otahuhu Leopards players Newton Rangers players Rugby league wingers 1892 births 1956 deaths