Bert Laing

Henry Bircher "Bert" Laing[1] (1893-1963) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand and Australasia. His brother, Albert, was also a New Zealand international.[2]

Bert Laing
Personal information
Full nameHenry Bircher Laing
Born3 August 1893
Norfolk Island
Died25 April 1963(1963-04-25) (aged 69)
New Zealand
Playing information
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight78.2 kg (12 st 4 lb)
PositionStand-off
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1919–22 City Rovers (ARL) 24 6 2 0 22
1922–30 Devonport United 65 21 50 3 169
Total 89 27 52 3 191
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1919–26 Auckland 13 10 4 0 38
1922 Auckland Province 1 2 0 0 6
1919–1925 New Zealand 12 0 2 0 4
1921–22 Australasia 10 3 0 0 9
1926 North Island 1 1 0 0 3
Coaching information
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1922 Devonport United 14 7 1 6 50
1934–1936 Devonport United 55 25 7 23 45
1938 Manukau 23 15 1 7 65

Playing career

Laing, a standoff from Auckland, represented New Zealand between 1919 and 1925 and was the team's captain in 1925.[1] However he never played in a Test match for New Zealand, due to the team usually playing New South Wales and Queensland during this period.

The 1919 New Zealand team to tour New South Wales and Queensland. Bert Laing is in the back row, second from the right.

In 1921 he was the only New Zealander selected to represent Australasia during the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain.[3] He scored one try and played in ten matches on tour but was not selected for any of the three Test matches.[4]

Laing played for the City Rovers from 1919 to 1922 but transferred to Devonport United during the 1922 season. During the 1920s he played some matches with his younger brother Julius for Devonport. He retired at the end of the 1926 season but came out of retirement to play 2 matches for Devonport in 1927 and then four more matches in 1930. Another of his brothers, Albert Laing debuted for Devonport in late 1931 and also went on to play for New Zealand.

Coaching career

Bert coached the North Shore Albions from 1934 to 1936, and the Manukau seniors in 1938.

Death

Bert Laing died on April 25, 1963. He was cremated at Purewa Cemetery and his ashes were returned to his family.[5]

References
  1. LAING, Henry Bircher (Bert) 1919, 1921, 1925 - Kiwi #113 Archived 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
  2. LAING, Albert 1932 - Kiwi #217 Archived 23 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine nzleague.co.nz
  3. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-86969-331-2.
  4. New Zealand Kangaroos - Not Extinct! rl1908.com
  5. "Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium". Purewa Cemetery and Crematorium. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
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