Dean Bell

IWI: Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāpuhi

MARAE:

BIRTHPLACE: Auckland, NZ   29 April 1962

HONOURS: Albie Pryor Māori Sportsperson of the Year 1994

RUGBY LEAGUE

Biography | tuhinga koi ora

Family:
Wife: Jackie Bell (née Parker)
Children: Kurtis and Chloe
Grandchildren: Lucas, Audrey, Arabella
Parents: Cameron and Janice Bell

Dean Bell rose from humble beginnings in South Auckland to become one of the most-decorated players in rugby league history.

The only son of Cameron and Janice Bell, he was destined to be involved in the game from the outset.

The Bell family was steeped in rugby league and soon enough he would follow in the footsteps of his father, uncles and cousins playing for the Manukau Magpies.

It would lead to him playing at premier level alongside his uncle Ian Bell and cousin Clayton Friend in the Auckland Rugby League competition while he later had them as Kiwi teammates in the one-off Test against Papua New Guinea in 1983.

After breaking into senior football with Manukau, Dean broadened his rugby league horizons when he joined his uncle Ian and cousin Clayton for a stint with Carlisle in the 1982-1983 English season.

Back in New Zealand for the 1983 season, he made his Kiwi Test debut against the Kangaroos to launch what would become a legendary career.

As a centre or winger, he played 26 Tests, leading the Kiwis four times including the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final against the Kangaroos at Eden Park.

An offseason contract with English club Leeds in 1983-1984 was followed by three years with Eastern Suburbs in the then-Sydney premiership in 1985, 1986 and 1988.

It was during that period in 1986 that Dean began his nine-season association with Wigan, a time that would define his career. Linking up initially with Kiwi coach Graham Lowe and later Australian John Monie, he played a key role in one of the most exceptional eras in the game’s history.

In 253 games he scored 96 tries being part of multiple trophy successes, not least the seven consecutive Challenge Cup final triumphs at Wembley he savoured from 1988-1994 (the last three as captain). He won the Lance Todd Trophy as the man of the match in the 1993 final and received the Man of Steel award as the season’s best player in 1992.

As a 32-year-old, Dean returned to New Zealand to link up with coach Monie for the Auckland Warriors’ debut season in the Winfield Cup premiership.

In a spine-tingling and emotional experience, Dean had the honour of leading the Warriors out of the tunnel at Ericsson Stadium on March 10, 1995, a moment ranking as one of the most unforgettable in New Zealand sporting history.

At the end of the season he returned to England to coach Leeds before going on to have a long association with Wigan as football executive.

Inducted into the NZRL Legends of League in 2000, Dean was an assistant coach to his father Cameron of the Aotearoa Māori team at that year’s World Cup.

In 2007 he headed home where he worked for the Warriors for nine years in recruitment, football management and development while in 2008 he was football manager when the Kiwis won the Rugby League World Cup for the first time.

Among numerous other honours he was inducted into the Wigan Hall of Fame and the Auckland Rugby League Immortals.

 

Achievements | tutukitanga

 

Clubs:
New Zealand: Manukau (1979-1982), Auckland Warriors (1995)
England: Carlisle (1982-1983), Leeds (1983-1984), Wigan (1986-1994), Leeds (1996)
Australia: Eastern Suburbs (1984-85, 1988)

Representative:
New Zealand
New Zealand Māori
Auckland
South Island
Oceania
Rest of the World
Cumbria

Playing career:
New Zealand: 26 Tests, 1983-1989, 4 Tests as captain including 1988
World Cup final, 11 tries, Kiwi No: 574
New Zealand: 10 tour matches, 1985-1987, 4 tries
Auckland Warriors: 19 games, 1995, 3 tries, captain, Warriors No: 1
Wigan: 253 games, 1986-1994, 96 tries, Wigan No: 830
Eastern Suburbs: 40 games, 1985-1986 & 1988, 8 tries, Roosters No: 779
Leeds: 23 games, 1983-1984 & 1996, 5 tries, Leeds No: 1132
Carlisle: 23 games, 1982-83, 11 tries

Achievements:
Wigan:
Challenge Cup winner seven times, three as captain
Championship winner six times
John Player Trophy winner five times
Premiership winner two times
Lancashire Cup winner four times
World sevens winner once
Lance Todd Trophy winner 1993
Man of Steel winner 1992
Inducted into Wigan Hall of Fame 2007

New Zealand:
NZRL Player of the Year 1987
NZ Māori Sports Personality of the Year 1994
Inducted into NZRL Legends of League 2000
Inducted into Auckland Rugby League Immortals 1995

Others: Inducted into Wigan ‘Hall of Fame’, ‘This is Your Life’ recipient

Football management:
One New Zealand Warriors:
General manager football 2013-2015
Recruitment and development manager 2011-2013
NRL team manager 2009-2010
Recruitment manager 2009-2010
Under-20 team manager 2008-2009,
Welfare and education manager 2007

Other positions:
NZ Kiwis football manager 2008-2009
Wigan rugby executive 2000-2007
Leeds academy head coach 1998-1999
Leeds head coach 1996-1997