Coaches & Selectors

Who led the West Coast representative team, 1893 to 2026.

Coach or selector?

In early rugby, the person responsible for a representative team was often called a selector rather than a coach. This list aims to name the principal person in charge each season. Where the records do not point to one person, every known selector is shown.

Still being researched

"Not yet identified" means a reliable record has not been found, not that the position was vacant. Assistant coaches and additional selectors in recent years are not included. From 2004, the New Zealand Rugby Almanac generally used the word "coach".

1890s

  • 1893Not yet identified
  • 1894G. H. Boyd, D. J. Evans & R. C. C. Hungerford
  • 1895G. H. Boyd, D. J. Evans, R. C. C. Hungerford, E. A. Wickes & J. S. Webb
  • 1896G. H. Boyd, D. J. Evans, R. C. C. Hungerford, E. A. Wickes & N. J. Arnott
  • 1897G. H. Boyd, D. J. Evans, R. C. C. Hungerford, E. A. Wickes & T. L. Lecher
  • 1898-99No West Coast representative team

1900s

  • 1900-04No West Coast representative team
  • 1905H. Butland, J. M. Conway & W. Flynn
  • 1906H. Butland, W. Flynn & T. Hallinan
  • 1907-09Not yet identified

1910s

  • 1910Not yet identified
  • 1911J. F. Wilson, W. Sweetman & S. P. Eddy (initials to confirm)
  • 1912J. F. Wilson, E. P. Eddy (initials to confirm) & W. Sweetman
  • 1913Not yet identified
  • 1914J. R. Wallace, M. Houston & J. Brimble
  • 1915-17To be confirmed
  • 1918-19Not yet identified

1920s

  • 1920-21Not yet identified
  • 1922A. A. Adams
  • 1923Not yet identified
  • 1924Selection Committee: D. Powell (Westland representative on the WCRU Selection Committee)
  • 1925-29Not yet identified

1930s

  • 1930A. A. Adams & D. R. Dowell
  • 1931D. R. Dowell
  • 1932-33J. Daveney (spelling to confirm)
  • 1934D. R. Dowell
  • 1935-36T. McIntosh, D. R. Dowell & T. P. Ryan. A. A. Adams is also recorded as a selector in a 1936 team photograph.
  • 1937J. E. Joyce, D. R. Dowell & T. P. Ryan
  • 1938J. Steel
  • 1939A. A. Adams, T. McIntosh (later replaced by J. Steel) & S. Moore

1940s

  • 1940-42T. McIntosh, T. P. Ryan & S. Moore
  • 1943T. McIntosh, T. P. Ryan & M. Davidson
  • 1944T. McIntosh, M. Davidson & R. R. King
  • 1945T. McIntosh, P. S. Hendry & J. Devaney (spelling to confirm)
  • 1946R. R. King, M. Davidson & P. S. Hendry
  • 1947R. R. King & M. Davidson
  • 1948R. R. King, W. Williams & B. Kelly
  • 1949J. F. Pegley, W. O. Blair & B. Kelly

1950s

  • 1950-52R. R. King
  • 1953-59B. Watkin

1960s

  • 1960-62E. G. Walker
  • 1963L. W. Champion & J. F. Pegley
  • 1964-66R. R. King
  • 1967-69P. T. Hurren

1970s

  • 1970P. T. Hurren
  • 1971-72T. A. Bird
  • 1973-74S. R. Pittaway
  • 1975B. J. Vicelli
  • 1976B. J. Vicelli (resigned in July after transferring to Christchurch), then J. A. L. Wright
  • 1977J. A. L. Wright
  • 1978-79S. R. Pittaway, D. J. Kelly & D. McLean

1980s

  • 1980-81P. L. Higinbottom & A. G. Dawson
  • 1982-83A. G. Dawson
  • 1984W. D. Hawkins
  • 1985K. J. J. Beams
  • 1986-88R. E. Dew
  • 1989R. Dixon

1990s

  • 1990-91R. F. Dixon
  • 1992J. Murray
  • 1993-94W. Blair
  • 1995-97M. J. O'Donovan
  • 1998J. D. Sullivan (stepped down in June), then P. H. Reuben
  • 1999P. H. Reuben

2000s

  • 2000-01P. H. Reuben
  • 2002-03T. J. Stuart
  • 2004K. D. Hansen
  • 2005A. D. Lawry
  • 2006R. Maitland
  • 2007-09A. D. Lawry

2010s

  • 2010-11A. D. Lawry
  • 2012N. K. Mauger
  • 2013-14A. C. Lindsay
  • 2015-19S. J. Cuttance

2020s

  • 2020S. J. Cuttance
  • 2021-22D. Perrin
  • 2023-24S. J. Cuttance
  • 2025J. Mitchell
  • 2026M. P. Henderson

Can you name a missing coach?

Newspaper clippings, AGM reports and team photos have all helped so far. If you have something from one of the missing seasons, we would love to see it.

Share what you know

Compiled from New Zealand Rugby Almanacs, official publications, West Coast newspapers, AGM and annual reports, team photographs and Mike Parkinson's New Zealand Rugby Records publications.