Robert Coupland
Robert William Coupland (24 September 1904 – 29 September 1968) was a New Zealand cricketer and senior tourism official. He played seven first-class matches for Otago between 1930 and 1933.[1]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Robert William Coupland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Christchurch, New Zealand | 24 September 1904||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 29 September 1968 64) Sydney, Australia | (aged||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm off-spin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1930/31–1932/33 | Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 31 July 2020 |
Life and career
Bob Coupland was born in Christchurch, where he attended West Christchurch District High School.[2] He was a medium-paced off-spin bowler and useful batsman in the lower order.[3]
After three seasons playing District Cricket in Melbourne, where he also represented Victoria at rugby union,[2] he returned to New Zealand and had a successful season in Wanganui senior cricket before moving to Invercargill in 1929. In his first match in Invercargill club cricket he took 9 for 15.[4] He represented Southland, captaining the team in a two-day match against the touring MCC team in 1929–30. He "turned the ball prodigiously" and took 7 for 86 in MCC's only innings.[5]
Later in 1930 Coupland was transferred in his work to Dunedin, and began playing for Otago.[6] His best performances for Otago came in the match against Auckland in 1932–33, when he scored 32 not out and took 4 for 41 in the second innings.[7]
Coupland managed the office of the Government Tourist Department in Dunedin. He was transferred to Christchurch in September 1933 to manage the office there.[8] He played no further first-class cricket, although he continued to play senior club cricket in Christchurch and represented Canterbury in minor matches. Playing for Canterbury against South Canterbury in 1937–38 he took 8 for 17 including a hat-trick.[9][10] In April 1938 he was transferred to the head office of the Tourist Department in Wellington, where he continued to play senior club cricket into the 1940s.[11][12] In August 1946 he was appointed the New Zealand tourism department's regional manager for the southern states of Australia, based in Melbourne.[13] In 1953, Coupland was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[14]
References
- "Robert Coupland". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- "Personalities in Sport: No. XXXVIII: R. W. Coupland". Evening Star: 4. 29 January 1932.
- "Robert Coupland". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- "Southland's Gain". Evening Star: 14. 1 November 1929.
- M. J. Turnbull & M. J. C. Allom, The Book of the Two Maurices, E. Allom & Co, London, 1930, pp. 135–36.
- "Cricket". Otago Daily Times: 4. 23 October 1930.
- "Otago v Auckland 1932–33". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- "Personal". Otago Daily Times: 10. 7 September 1933.
- "Cricket". Evening Star: 4. 9 March 1938.
- "Topical Tattle". Evening Star: 15. 19 February 1935.
- "Personal Items". Press: 8. 6 April 1938.
- "Sports of All Kinds". Otago Daily Times: 4. 6 February 1941.
- "Personal". Ashburton Guardian: 4. 28 August 1946.
- "Coronation Medal" (PDF). Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette. No. 37. 3 July 1953. pp. 1021–1035. Retrieved 17 April 2021.