Robert Aynsley (5 January 1922 – 12 October 2012) was a New Zealand

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 ...

player. He played five

test matches Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (association football) ...

for the

New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team (Māori: Tīma rīki motu Aotearoa) has represented New Zealand in rugby league since 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of ...

Playing career

Aynsley played for Blackball and represented 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 ...

and the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

before first being selected for the

in 1946. He played in five test matches, his last in 1949. He played in 15 tour games on the 1947–1948 tour of Great Britain and France.

Later years

After retirement, Aynsley was a referee from 1953 to 1960. He then served as a selector for the West Coast, South Island and New Zealand age group sides. Aynsley also sat on the

West Coast Rugby League West Coast Rugby League (WCRL) is the local sporting body responsible for the administration of rugby league in the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast region of New Zealand, centred around Greymouth. The WCRL own Wingham Park and are represented ...

Board of Control for 18 years and worked as a groundsman at

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. ...

into his seventies.Past Kiwi & Life Member Aynsley Passes Away
''nzrl.co.nz'', 15 October 2012 He was named a Life Member of the West Coast Rugby League in 1978 and a Life Member of the New Zealand Rugby League in 1989. Aynsley died in

Greymouth Greymouth () (Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coas ...

on 12 October 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aynsley, Bob 1922 births 2012 deaths New Zealand national rugby league team players New Zealand rugby league administrators New Zealand rugby league players New Zealand rugby league referees Place of birth missing Rugby league hookers Rugby league players from West Coast, New Zealand South Island rugby league team players West Coast rugby league team players