Born: 11 February, 1958 Test record: 0 Tests Tours: 1980 tour of Great Britain and France
Waikato five-eighth Billy Kells toured Britain and France with the 1980 Kiwis.
The Ngaruawahia playmaker represented Northern Districts against the 1979 Lions before becoming a New Zealand bolter the following season. The brilliant Fred Ah Kuoi kept Kells out of the Test line-up, but the 22-year-old featured in eight matches on tour and scored two tries.
Kells spent the 1982-83 English winter with Bradford Northern and faced the Australian ‘Invincibles’, playing opposite Brett Kenny in a hard-fought 13-6 loss. He continued to represent Waikato until 1985, the same season he switched to Huntly South and steered the club to grand final victory, and eventually returned to Ngaruawahia before hanging up the boots in 1991.
A tremendous servant of the code in his home region, Kells held numerous coaching posts in ensuing years – including leading Waikato Cougars to the national title in 1997.
