Philip William Bancroft is a 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...

 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

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...

 in two Test matches in 1989.

Playing career

A Canterbury and South Island representative

South Island rugby league team

The South Island rugby league team represents the Southern Zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. The Zone represented the Southland, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury and Tasman districts. They are nicknamed the Scorpions...

 in the 1980s, Bancroft played for the Glenora Bears

Glenora Bears

The Glenora Bears are a rugby league football club based in Glen Eden, New Zealand who compete in Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial competition. The club was established in 1931...

 in the Auckland Rugby League

Auckland Rugby League

The Auckland Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is responsible for rugby league in the region and was the owner of Carlaw Park, once the "spiritual home of rugby league in New Zealand".-History:The Auckland Rugby League was...

 competition and also represented Auckland

Auckland rugby league team

The Auckland rugby league team is the team which traditionally represents all of the clubs which play in the Auckland Rugby League competition. The Auckland Rugby League team has traditionally been a powerhouse of New Zealand domestic rugby league...

. In 1988, 1989 and 1990 Bancroft won the Painter Rosebowl Trophy

Auckland Rugby League club trophies

-Trophies:There are approximately 24 trophies which have been competed for in Auckland Rugby League history by clubs. These include the following for teams; Fox Memorial Shield, Rukutai Shield, Roope Rooster, Stormont Shield, Kiwi Shield, A.R.L Trophy, Sharman Cup, Lawson Cup, Walmsley Shield, ARL...

 for being the leading goalscorer in the competition.

In 1989 Bancroft was called up to the New Zealand Kiwis and played in two test matches against Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....

.

Bancroft later returned to Canterbury playing for the Haswell Hornets club and the Canterbury Country Cardinals

Canterbury Country Cardinals

The Canterbury Country Cardinals were a New Zealand rugby league club that represented Canterbury in the Lion Red Cup from 1994 to 1996. They were administered by the Canterbury Rugby League....

 in the 1994 Lion Red Cup.