Ken Gray (All Black)
Encyclopedia
Ken Gray was a sheep farmer from Porirua
, New Zealand
. He represented New Zealand in Rugby
, playing lock and later prop forward. He could play on either side of a scrum. In 1970, he refused to tour South Africa
in protest at its policy of apartheid and resigned from the game.
He was elected a Hutt County Councillor in 1971 and became a Porirua City Councillor in 1973 when the riding of the County he was the member for, joined Porirua City. Later he was elected to the Hutt Valley Energy Board and to The Wellinmgton Regional Council where he continued to serve until his unexpected death of a heart attack in 1992.(His brother Jim Gray also died of a heart attack in 1999).
The Petone Rugby Club
, where he played, commemorates him with the Ken Gray Academy. The Ken Gray Education Centre was established in a converted shearing shed on the Battle Hill Forest Farm, near the Gray family farm, Pauatahanui Inlet, after his death.
Porirua
Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He represented New Zealand in Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, playing lock and later prop forward. He could play on either side of a scrum. In 1970, he refused to tour South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in protest at its policy of apartheid and resigned from the game.
He was elected a Hutt County Councillor in 1971 and became a Porirua City Councillor in 1973 when the riding of the County he was the member for, joined Porirua City. Later he was elected to the Hutt Valley Energy Board and to The Wellinmgton Regional Council where he continued to serve until his unexpected death of a heart attack in 1992.(His brother Jim Gray also died of a heart attack in 1999).
The Petone Rugby Club
Petone Rugby Club
The Petone Rugby Football Club was founded in 1885 and has been the Wellington Premier Champion 39 times between 1895 and 2005. In addition to this, the club has won the Club Championship on 42 occasions between 1922 and 2005...
, where he played, commemorates him with the Ken Gray Academy. The Ken Gray Education Centre was established in a converted shearing shed on the Battle Hill Forest Farm, near the Gray family farm, Pauatahanui Inlet, after his death.