Bert Avery

Herbert "Bert" Avery (1895–1966) was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand.

Early years Born in 1896 in Whakapirau Northland, Avery originally played rugby union for the local Northland club.

Playing career Moving to Auckland, Avery switched codes and joined the City Rovers in the Auckland Rugby League competition playing for them in 1914 and 1916. World War I had begun and Avery signed up for the New Zealand forces in 1916 and served in the New Zealand Army until 1918, and against Auckland for the Auckland Provincial team in the same season. He again played for both Auckland and Auckland Province in the 1924 season against England. thumbBy 1925 he was made captain of the Auckland side.

Between 1919 and 1927 Avery played in thirteen test matches for New Zealand including against the 1919 touring Australians and 1920 and 1924 touring Great Britain Lions. He was part of tours of New South Wales and Queensland in 1921 and 1925 where no test matches were played. He captained New Zealand during his final tour, the 1926–1927 tour of Great Britain, which was marred by strike action amongst the forwards. Despite this, he still finished the tour as the leading try scorer with 23 tries in 29 matches. He also coached the Kingsland Athletic senior side in 1929 which was an amalgamation of his Maritime/Grafton Athletic club and Kingsland Rovers. In 1936 he also served as the sole selector of the New Zealand side.

He died in Auckland on 13 April 1966, aged 71.