Born: November 4, 1947 – Auckland
Died: February 6, 2007 – Auckland
Test record: 19 Tests (1969-72, 1974) – 0 points
Tours: 1970 World Cup, 1971 tour of Britain and France, 1972 tour of Australia, 1972 World Cup

Hulking Auckland prop Doug Gailey was a mainstay of the New Zealand line-up from 1969-74, making 19 Test appearances.

Gailey debuted for Auckland from Ellerslie in 1968 and was called into the Kiwis for the second Test against Australia in 1969, teaming up in the front-row with Oscar Danielson up against vaunted pair John Sattler and John Wittenberg in an 18-14 upset win at Carlaw Park.

The tyro featured in all three Tests against Great Britain at home in 1970 and in World Cup matches against Australia and France in England at the end of the year.

After missing the home Test against Australia in 1971, Gailey helped the Kiwis complete their ‘Grand Slam’ by featuring in the two Test wins over Great Britain and all three matches of the series victory in France. In 1972, he played in both Tests on the tour of Australia and all three World Cup fixtures in France.

The former boxing champion, by now with Manukau, bade an eventful farewell to the international arena during the 1974 series against the touring Lions – taking the battle to the British pack in a fiery 2-1 loss.

Gailey subsequently embarked on stints in Sydney, Illawarra and Bundaberg, but he was still good enough to tangle with Great Britain (1979) and Australia (1980) for Auckland upon his permanent return to New Zealand with Manukau. He retired in 1983 after heading back to Ellerslie.