Ray Laird (1942-2019) was an Australian
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 ...
footballer who played in the 1960s.
Laird first played fullback for Queensland as a 22-year-old in 1963 against NSW and South Africa and was to be a frequent state rep during the 1960s.
There appears to be some confusion between Ray Laird and Robert 'Bob' Laird (a second rower), Bob Laird played for St George in 1962, Ray Laird was playing in Toowoomba and represented Toowoomba in 1962 against Great Britain.
He was called into Australia's Second Test side that lost to Great Britain in 1970 following an injury to
Graeme Langlands
Graeme Frank Langlands, MBE, (2 September 1941 – 20 January 2018), also known by the nickname of "Changa", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. and coached in the 1970s.
He retire ...
. Laird was over-looked for the deciding Test that year when selectors opted for goal-kicking Easts fullback
Allan McKean
Allan McKean (born 1942) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s.
Career
The fullback spent the first year of his career in Third Grade for St George in 1963, his local club – his side ...
.
Laird died at
Mackay, Queensland
}
Mackay () is a city in the Mackay Region on the eastern or Coral Sea coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River.
Mackay is described as being in either Central Queensland or North Queensland ...
on 2 February 2019, age 77.
[Mackay Murcury - death notice 5/2/2019]
References
St. George Dragons players
Queensland rugby league team players
Australia national rugby league team players
Australian rugby league players
1942 births
2019 deaths
Rugby league players from Queensland
Rugby league fullbacks
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