Ray Haffenden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Ray Kenway Haffenden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby league career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ray Kenway Haffenden MNZM is a New Zealand rugby league administrator and former player and coach who served as the New Zealand Rugby League's chairman. He currently serves as the NZRL vice-chairman.
Haffenden played for the Linwood Keas in the Canterbury Rugby League competition until he was 32.[1] He played in the Keas' premiership winning teams in 1968 and 1970.[2]
Haffenden played four games for Canterbury and represented the South Island against Great Britain in 1974.[2][3]
Haffenden coached Canterbury in 1982 and again from 1984, stepping down in 1988 with 20 wins, 4 draws and 12 losses.[4] During this time he also coached the South Island.
In 1989 and 1990 he coached the Junior Kiwis, including a tour of Papua New Guinea. Haffenden also managed the New Zealand national rugby league team in 1990 and 1991 under coach Bob Bailey, who he had challenged for the position.[2] He continued to manage the Kiwis under Frank Endacott until 1995.[5]
Haffenden was voted onto the New Zealand Rugby League board in 1992, serving until 1995.[6]
Haffenden later served on the judiciary for Bartercard Cup games and the New Zealand Rugby League judiciary panel. Haffenden is also a life member of the Linwood Keas club in Christchurch.[5]
He was elected back onto the NZRL board and took over as chairman in November 2007.[7] As chairman Haffenden took over in a time of turmoil and oversaw a SPARC review of the NZRL that led to its revamp in 2009. Haffenden's term as chairman ended with the restructure, however he was elected as the vice-chairman.[1][8] Haffenden was part of the independent judiciary following the 2011 Bill Kelly Test match.[9]
In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, Haffenden was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby league.[10]