Veteran New Zealand sports journalist Phil Gifford dies aged 79

Iconic New Zealand sports journalist, broadcaster and writer Phil Gifford has died in Auckland on Tuesday night, aged 79. He is survived by his wife Jan and their children Emmalene, Jane, Scott and Adam, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Gifford had been a journalist for more than 50 years, most recently a regular Herald contributor covering two World Cups, two Olympics and the appointments of three All Blacks coaches. His last story celebrated the All Blacks’ first-test victory over the Springboks, which he labelled one of their greatest wins.

He began sports writing aged 12 in the Waihī College school magazine, took a Herald cadetship in 1965, and became one of New Zealand’s most recognisable sporting voices. He attended every men’s Rugby World Cup from the inaugural 1987 tournament to 2019, won nine New Zealand radio awards, and was twice judged the country’s sportswriter of the year and three times its sports columnist of the year.

In 1973 he created Loosehead Len, the satirical rugby character behind seven of his more than 26 published books. His biography of Canterbury great Alex Wyllie, Grizz: The Legend, became the biggest-selling New Zealand sports book of the 1990s, and he penned biographies of Dame Valerie Adams, Sir Peter Leitch and Sir Wayne Smith.

He received a Sport New Zealand lifetime achievement award in 2010 and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and sports journalism.

Sources

• NZ Herald / Newstalk ZB: https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/sport/phil-gifford-dies-aged-79-after-more-than-50-years-in-sports-journalism/
• Otago Daily Times: https://www.odt.co.nz/canterbury/christchurch/former-christchurch-breakfast-radio-host-phil-gifford-has-died-m5zbdz1c
• Chris Lynch Media: https://www.chrislynchmedia.com/news-items/veteran-broadcaster-and-sports-journalist-phil-gifford-dies/