Born: 24 January, 1920 Test record: 8 Tests (1946-49) – 1 try (3 points) Tours: 1947-48 tour of Great Britain and France
Auckland utility-back Len Jordan was a Kiwis regular when international rugby league resumed after World War II.
The Northcote junior broken into the Auckland senior ranks with Ponsonby in the early-1940s (Northcote did not have a team in the senior division), debuting for the Auckland provincial team in 1941.
In 1946, Jordan was selected at centre in New Zealand’s first Test line-up in nine years – for the one-of match against Great Britain at Carlaw Park. His defence came in for special praise as the hosts carved out a 13-8 victory over ‘The Indomitables’.
Jordan’s versatility came to the fore on the Kiwis’ 1947-48 tour of Britain and France. He played all six Tests abroad: the three-match series against Great Britain at centre, five-eighth and wing, the one-of clash with Wales at halfback and both matches against France on the wing, scoring a try in the first-Test victory in Paris.
The 27-year-old topped the touring party’s tryscoring charts by dotting down 18 times in 20 minor tour matches. He followed up a hat-trick against Wakefield Trinity with a four-try haul against Bramley four days later and posted back-to-back trebles against Provence and France B at the tail-end of the tour.
After slipping into retirement, Jordan returned to help out shorthanded Ponsonby in 1949 and found himself back in the New Zealand Test side, replacing injured five-eighth Abbie Graham for the second encounter with visiting Australia – a narrow 13-10 loss for the hosts.
Jordan’s son, the similarly versatile Chris, played five Tests for New Zealand in 1977-78.
