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John Greengrass

b. 1940

New Zealand rugby league footballer

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About John Greengrass

Born 1940. John Greengrass is a New Zealand rugby league player.

John Greengrass is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1970 and 1975 World Cups.

Playing career A Linwood Keas player, a Canterbury representative Greengrass made his debut for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1970 at the World Cup. Greengrass also represented Southern Zone in matches against Northern Zone. He played in 35 games for New Zealand, scoring six tries. This included 18 test matches for New Zealand. He was also part of New Zealand's squad at the 1970 and 1975 World Cups and toured Great Britain and France in 1971 and Australia in 1972. He was unavailable for both the 1972 World Cup and the 1975 Australia tour.

In 1976 Greengrass moved from Linwood and joined the Kaiapoi club.

Personal life Greengrass became engaged to Christine Joy Ellis in February 1972, and the couple married in Ashburton later that year. Chris Greengrass became active as a community leader in the Kaiapoi area. From 1974 to 1984 she was involved with the local Plunket Society, serving in roles including chair, secretary and treasurer. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, she was a Waimakariri Earthquake Trust team leader, supporting local families. She was elected to the Kaiapoi-Tuahiwi Community Board, serving as chair from the 2019 election until she stepped down due to ill-health. She died in Christchurch on 15 May 2022, having been awarded the Queen's Service Medal for services to the community the previous day as part of the 2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours.

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Important facts

Born
1940, New Zealand
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality

People in John Greengrass's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Greengrass's

Frequently asked questions

Who is John Greengrass?

New Zealand rugby league footballer

When was John Greengrass born?

John Greengrass was born in 1940 in New Zealand.

What is John Greengrass's occupation?

John Greengrass is a rugby league player.

What nationality is John Greengrass?

John Greengrass is New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: John Greengrass

Β· Wikidata: Q6236190

Β· DBpedia: John Greengrass

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Greengrass. https://biography.guide/john-greengrass/

MLA: "John Greengrass." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-greengrass/.

Chicago: "John Greengrass." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-greengrass/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons Β· author & licence

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