Gordon Charles "Don" Ladner (1948/1949 – 26 January 2009) was a New Zealand rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 player who represented his country. Ladner's position of preference was at fullback.

Playing career

Ladner worked in a mine in Reefton.

A West Coast

West Coast rugby league team

The West Coast rugby league team are New Zealand rugby league team that represents the West Coast Rugby League. They have been nicknamed the Chargers.-History:...

 representative, Ladner played 8 tests for the Kiwis

New Zealand national rugby league team

The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...

 from 1969–70, scoring 76 points, all from goal kicking. He played three matches at the 1970 World Cup

1970 Rugby League World Cup

The fifth Rugby League World Cup was held in Great Britain in 1970. Britain, fresh from defeating Australia in the Ashes, were hot favourites, and won all three of their group stage games. All the other nations lost two games each, and Australia qualified for the final largely on the back of an...

.

He died in Reefton on 26 January 2009 after suffering a heart attack

Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

. He was 60.