John Yates (rugby league)

John Yates

Personal information
Full name	John Edward Yates
Born	New Zealand
Playing information
Rugby union
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
	Rarawa
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1952	North Auckland
Rugby league
Position	Prop, Second-row
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
	Otahuhu
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
	Auckland
1954–1957	New Zealand	6	0	0	0	0
Source: RLP

John Yates is a New Zealand former rugby league player who represented his country in two World Cups. His brother, Victor, was a New Zealand rugby union representative and played rugby league for Auckland while his father, Moses, represented North Auckland in rugby union.

Playing career

Yates originally played rugby union, playing his first senior game for Rarawa and was chosen for North Auckland.^[1]

In 1953 Yates switched codes and he quickly became an Auckland representative and first played for the New Zealand Kiwis in 1954.^[2] He was part of both the 1954 and 1957 World Cup squads.

In 1958 he was part of Auckland Rugby League's first ever Grand Final, being part of the Otahuhu Leopards side that lost 7-16 to Ponsonby.^[3]

References

1. The Sporting Yates Family Te Ao Hou The New World, No. 37 (December 1961) p.60.
2. YATES, John Edward - 1954 - 57 nzleague.co.nz
3. Coffey, John and Bernie Wood Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909-2009, 2009. ISBN 978-1-86969-366-4.