Ray Haffenden is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 administrator and former player and coach who served as the New Zealand Rugby League

New Zealand Rugby League

The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....

's chairman. He currently serves as the NZRL vice-chairman.

Playing career

Haffenden played for the Linwood Keas in the Canterbury Rugby League

Canterbury Rugby League

Canterbury Rugby League is the regional body that administers rugby league in Canterbury, New Zealand. CRL manages local competitions from senior level down to age group competitions. Canterbury Rugby League also manages the Canterbury rugby league team which represents the region in New Zealand...

 competition until he was 32. He played in the Keas' premiership winning teams in 1968 and 1970.

Haffenden played four games for Canterbury and represented the South Island

South Island rugby league team

The South Island rugby league team represents the Southern Zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. The Zone represented the Southland, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury and Tasman districts. They are nicknamed the Scorpions...

 against Great Britain in 1974.

Coaching career

Haffenden coached Canterbury in 1982 and again from 1984, stepping down in 1988 with 20 wins, 4 draws and 12 losses. During this time he also coached the South Island

South Island rugby league team

The South Island rugby league team represents the Southern Zone in the Albert Baskerville Trophy. The Zone represented the Southland, Otago, West Coast, Canterbury and Tasman districts. They are nicknamed the Scorpions...

.

In 1989 and 1990 he coached the Junior Kiwis

Junior Kiwis

The Junior Kiwis side represents New Zealand in the sport of rugby league. They are commonly known as the Junior Kiwis, after the native bird of that name. They are not necessarily an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby league team. They are...

, including a tour of Papua New Guinea. Haffenden also managed the New Zealand Kiwis in 1990 and 1991 under coach Bob Bailey

Bob Bailey (rugby league)

Robert "Bob" Bailey is a former New Zealand rugby league player and coach who coached his country.-Playing career:Bailey played for Ponsonby with his three brothers. Two of them, Roger and Gary, played for New Zealand.-Coaching career:...

, who he had challenged for the position. He continued to manage the Kiwis under Frank Endacott

Frank Endacott

Frank Morris Endacott, ONZM is a retired rugby league player and coach from New Zealand. His son, Shane, also played rugby league.-Playing career:Endacott played for Addington and Hornby in the Canterbury Rugby League competition...

 until 1995.

Administration career

Haffenden was voted onto the New Zealand Rugby League

New Zealand Rugby League

The New Zealand Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in New Zealand. The NZRL was founded on the 25 April 1910 in preparation for a tour of Great Britain that same year....

 board in 1992, serving until 1995.

Haffenden later served on the judiciary for Bartercard Cup

Bartercard Cup

The Bartercard Cup was the top level rugby league club competition in New Zealand from 2000 until 2007. For the entire life of the tournament it was sponsored by Bartercard. The cup was administered by the New Zealand Rugby League...

 games and the New Zealand Rugby League judiciary panel. Haffenden is also a life member of the Linwood Keas club in Christchurch.

He was elected back onto the NZRL board and took over as chairman in November 2007. As chairman Haffenden took over in a time of turmoil and oversaw a SPARC

Sport and Recreation New Zealand

Sport and Recreation New Zealand is the New Zealand government body responsible for community sport and recreation programs. It was formed on 1 January 2003 and took over the functions of the Hillary Commission, the New Zealand Sports Foundation and the policy arm of the Office of Tourism and...

 review of the NZRL that led to its revamp in 2009. Haffenden's term as chairman ended with the restructure, however he was elected as the vice-chairman. Haffenden was part of the independent judiciary following the 2011 Bill Kelly Test match.