About John Pring
Lived 1927 – 2014 (aged 86). John Pring was a New Zealand rugby union player and rugby union match official.
John Pym Gray Pring (30 December 1927 – 10 March 2014) was a New Zealand rugby union referee. His refereeing career spanned 40 years, and included controlling all four test matches between the All Blacks and the British Lions on their 1971 tour to New Zealand. He was the first, and so far only, person to referee every test match in a Lions series.
In the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, Pring was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby refereeing.
Pring died in the Auckland suburb of Northcote on 10 March 2014. His wife, Kathleen, died in 2021.
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Important facts
People in John Pring's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John Pring?
New Zealand rugby union referee
When was John Pring born?
John Pring was born on 30 December 1927 in Auckland.
When did John Pring die?
John Pring died on 10 March 2014 in Northcote.
What was John Pring's occupation?
John Pring was a rugby union player and rugby union match official.
What nationality was John Pring?
John Pring was New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Pring. https://biography.guide/john-pring/
MLA: "John Pring." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-pring/.
Chicago: "John Pring." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-pring/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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