Hope you are all \'back in the groove\' and doing it tough in your heat wave-
cold here at the moment down in Christchurch ( 3 degrees top!)
The weather is that bad ( it\'s not really ) that the \' All Blacks\' forwards
are training in our school gym later this afternoon - \' soft bastards! \'
Hope it is not cold or wet this Sat. night when they play the Aussies here
in Christchurch, otherwise they\'re going to be struggling! They don\'t know
what cold is- not like winters in Scotland!
All the best to you all for the forthcoming season- same again fellas!

Rob Ackerman
Born 2.3.61 Ebbw Vale. Christ College, Brecon, Wales Schools U19. Debut 1979/80 at age of 18 on 12th Jan 1980 at Maesteg in WRU Cup (W10-6) and won Wales B cap in Oct 1980. Voted "Newport's Sportsman of Year" in 1980. Jointly holds record (with 3 others) of scoring 6 tries in a match vs Gloucester in 1980. 1979-82: 75 app/ 19t = 116pts. 22 caps for Wales - debut vs NZ at Cardiff in 1980 (proudest moment). 1983 British Lions tour to NZ playing in test at Canterbury (second proudest moment). Left to join Cardiff. Also played for London Welsh. Switched to RL in April 1986. Played for Whitehaven, Salford and Wales RL Retired end 1992/3. Son of former Newport captain (acting) Doug Ackerman. Teacher. Later coached in Christchurch, NZ, West of Scotland and Glasgow Hawks.

This article was originally posted on 5-Jul-2006, 07:18 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 5-Jul-2006, 13:39.