Rakaia's George Bellaney was a shock Kiwis selection for the 1939 tour to Britain, featuring in one of the two matches played before the trip was curtailed by the outbreak of World War II.Gore-born Bellaney played rugby union in Otago and Southland before moving to South Canterbury and joining the newly admitted Rakaia club in 1938.A Canterbury rep in 1938-39, the halfback-cum-loose forward snagged a spot in the New Zealand squad (alongside clubmates Jack Campbell and Ces Davison) courtesy of a standout performance in the curtain-raiser to the North Island v South Island match at Carlaw Park.The 29-year-old debut for the Kiwis in the match against Dewsbury prior to the tour's cancellation.A serious knee injury suffered while working on a New Zealand Army vehicle at Waiouru ended Bellaney's playing days.