Bert Laing

{{Short description|Australia & NZ international rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Bert Laing

|fullname = Henry Bircher Laing

|image = File:Bert Laing.png

|image_size =

|caption =

|position = {{rlp|SO}}

|birth_date = 3 August 1893

|birth_place = Norfolk Island, Australia

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1963|4|25|1893|8|3}}

|death_place = New Zealand

|height = {{convert|168|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

|weight = {{convert|78.2|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}

|club1 = {{nowrap|City Rovers (ARL)}}

|year1start = 1919

|year1end = 22

|appearances1 = 25

|tries1 = 7

|goals1 = 2

|fieldgoals1 = 0

|points1 = 25

|club2 = Devonport United

|year2start = 1922

|year2end = 30

|appearances2 = 65

|tries2 = 21

|goals2 = 50

|fieldgoals2 = 3

|points2 = 169

|teamA = Auckland

|yearAstart = 1919

|yearAend = 26

|appearancesA = 13

|triesA = 10

|goalsA = 4

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 38

|teamB = Auckland Province

|yearBstart = 1922

|yearBend =

|appearancesB = 1

|triesB = 2

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 6

|teamC = New Zealand

|yearCstart = 1919

|yearCend = 1925

|appearancesC = 12

|triesC = 0

|goalsC = 2

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 4

|teamD = Australasia

|yearDstart = 1921

|yearDend = 22

|appearancesD = 10

|triesD = 3

|goalsD = 0

|fieldgoalsD = 0

|pointsD = 9

|teamE = North Island

|yearEstart = 1926

|yearEend =

|appearancesE = 1

|triesE = 1

|goalsE = 0

|fieldgoalsE = 0

|pointsE = 3

|coachteamA = Devonport United

|coachyearAstart = 1922

|coachyearAend =

|coachgamesA = 14

|coachwinsA = 7

|coachdrawsA = 1

|coachlossesA = 6

|coachteamB = Devonport United

|coachyearBstart = 1934

|coachyearBend = 1936

|coachgamesB = 55

|coachwinsB = 25

|coachdrawsB = 7

|coachlossesB = 23

|coachteamC = Manukau

|coachyearCstart = 1938

|coachyearCend =

|coachgamesC = 23

|coachwinsC = 15

|coachdrawsC = 1

|coachlossesC = 7

|updated =

|source =

|new = yes

| module = {{infobox person

| embed = yes

| father =

| mother =

| spouse =

| education =

| alma_mater =

| relatives = Albert Laing (brother)

}}

Henry Bircher "Bert" Laing[http://nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=L&id=113 LAING, Henry Bircher (Bert) 1919, 1921, 1925 - Kiwi #113] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423080242/http://nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=L&id=113|date=23 April 2012}} nzleague.co.nz (1893-1963) was a New Zealand rugby league player who represented New Zealand and Australasia. His brother, Albert, was also a New Zealand international.[http://nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=L&id=217 LAING, Albert 1932 - Kiwi #217] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423080254/http://nzleague.co.nz/kiwis/player_profile.php?letter=L&id=217|date=23 April 2012}} nzleague.co.nz

Playing career

Laing, a standoff from Auckland, represented New Zealand between 1919 and 1925 and was the team's captain in 1925. However he never played in a Test match for New Zealand, due to the team usually playing New South Wales and Queensland during this period.File:The 1919 New Zealand rugby league team to tour Australia.png

In 1921 he was the only New Zealander selected to represent Australasia during the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain.{{cite book

| last =John Coffey, Bernie Wood

| title = 100 years: Māori rugby league, 1908-2008

| publisher =Huia Publishers

| year = 2008

| page = 73

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nklWo8vw-iIC

| isbn =978-1-86969-331-2}} He scored one try and played in ten matches on tour but was not selected for any of the three Test matches.[http://www.rl1908.com/rugby-league/NZ.htm New Zealand Kangaroos - Not Extinct!] rl1908.com

Laing played for the City Rovers from 1919 to 1922 but transferred to Devonport United during the 1922 season. During the 1920s he played some matches with his younger brother Julius for Devonport. He retired at the end of the 1926 season but came out of retirement to play 2 matches for Devonport in 1927 and then four more matches in 1930. Another of his brothers, Albert Laing debuted for Devonport in late 1931 and also went on to play for New Zealand.