Roger Tait

Roger Bruce Tait (1 December 1938 – 6 May 2023) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand in the 1968 World Cup.

Roger Tait

Personal information
Full name	Roger Bruce Tait[1]
Born	(1938-12-01)1 December 1938 Huntly, New Zealand
Died	6 May 2023(2023-05-06) (aged 84) Canberra, Australia
Playing information
Position	Fullback, Centre, Stand-off
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P Huntly United Glenora Bears Papakura Sea Eagles Total 0 0 0 0 0 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1961 Waikato 1963–68 Auckland 1965–68 New Zealand 11 3 11 0 31
Source: [2]

Playing career

Tait was born in Huntly on 1 December 1938.^[3][4] He grew up in there and played for Huntly United.^[5] In 1961 he represented Waikato.^[6]

Tait then transferred to Auckland, playing for the Glenora Bears in the Auckland Rugby League competition. By 1963 Tait captained Auckland against South Africa, with Auckland winning 10–4.^[7]

During the 1964 season Tait scored 203 points for Glenora. He was first selected for the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1965 and went on to play in eleven tests for New Zealand, including three matches at the 1968 World Cup.

Tait later played for the Papakura Sea Eagles.^[8]

Tait moved to Australia, settling in Canberra, where he played for and coached the Valley Statesman RFLC, Woden Valley Rams, and Queanbeyan Kangaroos clubs.^[9] He died there on 6 May 2023.^[3][9]

References

1. TAIT, Roger Bruce - 1965 - 68 nzleague.co.nz
2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
3. "Roger Bruce Tait". Canberra Times. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
4. "Births". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. 75, no. 23215. 8 December 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2024 – via PapersPast.
5. Huntly duo paved the way New Zealand Herald, 6 February 2011
6. John Coffey, Bernie Wood (2008). 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008. Huia Publishers. p. 127. ISBN 9781869693312.
7. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.
8. Papakura Sea Eagles Club Historical Information Archived 2010-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Auckland Rugby League, 2009
9. "Canberra Raiders mourn passing of former player and coach". Australian Seniors News. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2024.