{{Short description|NZ international rugby league footballer (1895–1966)}} {{for-multi|the English rugby league international|Albert Avery|the Australian rules footballer|Bert Avery (Australian footballer)}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Bert Avery |fullname = Herbert William Avery |image = Bert Avery Retirement (cropped).png |image_size = |caption = |position = {{rlp|LF}} |birth_date = {{birth date|1896|6|16|df=y}} |birth_place = Whakapirau Pahi, Northland,<br /> New Zealand |death_date = {{death date and age|1966|4|13|1895|6|16|df=y}} |death_place = Auckland, New Zealand |height = {{convert|180|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|84|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} |first = RU |ru_position = |ru_club1 = |ru_year1start = |ru_year1end = |ru_appearances1 = |ru_tries1 = |ru_goals1 = |ru_fieldgoals1 = |ru_points1 = |club1 = City Rovers |year1start = 1914 |year1end = 15 |appearances1 = 15 |tries1 = 1 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 3 |club2 = {{nowrap|Maritime/Grafton Athletic}} |year2start = 1919 |year2end = 27 |appearances2 = 97 |tries2 = 57 |goals2 = 1 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 173 |teamA = Auckland |yearAstart = 1919 |yearAend = 26 |appearancesA = 21 |triesA = 24 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 72 |teamB = New Zealand |yearBstart = 1919 |yearBend = 27 |appearancesB = 53 |triesB = 35 |goalsB = 0 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 105 |teamC = Auckland Province |yearCstart = 1923 |yearCend = 25 |appearancesC = 3 |triesC = 1 |goalsC = 0 |fieldgoalsC = 0 |pointsC = 3 |teamD = North Island |yearDstart = 1925 |yearDend = 26 |appearancesD = 2 |triesD = 1 |goalsD = 0 |fieldgoalsD = 0 |pointsD = 3 |coachteamA = Kingsland Athletic |coachyearAstart = 1929 |coachyearAend = |coachgamesA = 15 |coachwinsA = 5 |coachdrawsA = 1 |coachlossesA = 9 |updated = 19 April 2021 |source =<ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/bert-avery/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=Rugby League Project|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref> |new = yes }}

'''Herbert "Bert" Avery''' (1895–1966) was a New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played representative rugby league (RL) for New Zealand.

==Early years== Born in 1896 in Whakapirau Northland, Avery originally played rugby union for the local Northland club.<ref name=nzleague>{{cite web|url=http://www.nzleague.co.nz/pages/kiwis_players.php?player=131&name=AVERY,%20Herbert |title=AVERY, Herbert (1919 – 27) |website=nzleague.co.nz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207075158/http://nzleague.co.nz/pages/kiwis_players.php?player=131&name=AVERY,%20Herbert |archive-date=7 February 2013}}</ref>

==Playing career== Moving to Auckland, Avery switched codes and joined the City Rovers in the Auckland Rugby League competition playing for them in 1914 and 1916. World War I had begun and Avery signed up for the New Zealand forces in 1916 and served in the New Zealand Army until 1918,<ref name=nzleague/>

thumb|left|Avery 5th from the left in the Auckland team to play the 2nd match against the Australian Universities side at the Auckland Domain on June 24, 1922.Following the war he returned to rugby league, playing for the Maritime club who later changed their name to Athletic and then to Grafton Athletic. He was to play at least 97 matches for them and was a prolific try scorer, scoring 57 times.<ref name=nzleague/>

thumb|left|Avery tackling Henry Waterhouse on July 11 at the SCG. NSW won 7-4.During this time he represented Auckland and was part of the side that held the Northern Union Cup and recorded victories over the touring Great Britain Lions in 1921. In 1923 he had the unusual distinction of playing both for Auckland (against Hamilton),<ref>{{cite news | title = Auckland Defeats Hamilton/22 Points to 16 in Good Game | page = 4 | publisher = New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18503 | date = 1923-09-12 | url =https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19230913.2.11.1 | access-date = 2020-03-20}}</ref> and against Auckland for the Auckland Provincial team in the same season.<ref>{{cite news | title =Auckland Beats Province/In Match of Big Scoring | page =9 | publisher = Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 234 | date = 1923-10-01 | url =https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19231001.2.134 | access-date = 2019-09-02}}</ref> He again played for both Auckland and Auckland Province in the 1924 season against England. thumbBy 1925 he was made captain of the Auckland side.<ref name=akl100/> He was also part of the first two inter Island matches, playing for the North Island in 1925 and 1926.<ref>{{cite news | title =The Minor Trial Games/A Win for South Auckland/Play Marred by the Rain | page =12 | work= The New Zealand Herald |volume=LXII |issue=19056 | date = 1925-06-29 | url =https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19250629.2.140.4 | access-date = 2019-09-12}}</ref>

Between 1919 and 1927 Avery played in thirteen test matches for New Zealand including against the 1919 touring Australians and 1920 and 1924 touring Great Britain Lions. He was part of tours of New South Wales and Queensland in 1921 and 1925 where no test matches were played. He captained New Zealand during his final tour, the 1926–1927 tour of Great Britain, which was marred by strike action amongst the forwards. Despite this, he still finished the tour as the leading try scorer with 23 tries in 29 matches.<ref name=nzleague/>

==Later years== Avery retired in 1927. During the season he was concussed attempting a tackle on M Herewini who was trying to hurdle him. He was carried from the field and taken to Auckland Hospital. After being released his brother Henry died in the same week suffering from pneumonia. Bert Avery decided to retire from rugby league at this time. He served as a selector for Auckland between 1928 and 1936.<ref name=akl100>Coffey, John and Bernie Wood ''Auckland, 100 years of rugby league, 1909–2009'', 2009. {{ISBN|9781869693664}}.</ref> He also coached the Kingsland Athletic senior side in 1929 which was an amalgamation of his Maritime/Grafton Athletic club and Kingsland Rovers. In 1936 he also served as the sole selector of the New Zealand side.

He died in Auckland on 13 April 1966, aged 71.<ref name=nzleague/>

Avery was one of the first players to be inducted into the New Zealand Rugby League's Legends of League in 1995.<ref>[http://www.nzrl.co.nz/legends-of-league.aspx Legends of League] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120911135536/http://www.nzrl.co.nz/legends-of-league.aspx |date=11 September 2012}} ''nzrl.co.nz''</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avery, Bert}} Category:1895 births Category:1966 deaths Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen Category:Auckland rugby league team players Category:City Newton Dragons players Category:Maritime Football Club players Category:Maritime rugby league team players Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War I Category:New Zealand national rugby league team captains Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players Category:New Zealand rugby league administrators Category:New Zealand rugby league players Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:North Island rugby league team players Category:Rugby league locks Category:Rugby league players from Northland Region