Born: 16 June, 1910 – Gore Died: 13 October, 1978 – Dunsandel Test record: 0 Tests Tours: 1939 tour of Great Britain
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.
