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{{short description|New Zealand rugby league footballer, coach and administrator}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}{{Use New Zealand English|date=May 2013}}

factoids

| headercolor = #b0c4de| fullname = Graham Michael Lowe| image = Graham Lowe KNZM (cropped).jpg| caption = Lowe in 201919462date=July 2016}}| birth_place = New Zealand| module =

factoids

| coachyear5start = 1996| coachyear5end = | coachgames5 = 21| coachwins5 = 6| coachdraws5 = 0| coachlosses5 = 15New Zealand national rugby league team>New Zealand| coachyearAstart = 1983| coachyearAend = 86| coachgamesA = 17| coachwinsA = 10| coachdrawsA = 0| coachlossesA = 7| coachteamB = Rest of the World| coachyearBstart = 1988| coachgamesB = 1| coachwinsB = 0| coachdrawsB = 0| coachlossesB = 1Queensland Maroons>Queensland| coachyearCstart = 1991| coachyearCend = 92| coachgamesC = 6| coachwinsC = 3| coachdrawsC = 0| coachlossesC = 3Samoa national rugby league team>Western Samoa| coachyearDstart = 1995| coachyearDend = | coachgamesD = 2| coachwinsD = 1| coachdrawsD = 0| coachlossesD = 1| new = yes| source = RLP| updated = 16 March 2021}}}}Sir Graham Michael Lowe {{post-nominals|country=NZL|KNZM|QSM|size=100%}} is the owner of the Bradford Bulls together with fellow New Zealander Andrew Chalmers.WEB,weblink Graham Lowe confirmed in Kiwi takeover of Bradford rugby league club, Stuff, 17 January 2017, 2017-02-09, He is a New Zealand former rugby league football coach and administrator. He previously coached in Australia and England and was the CEO of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He is also the only non-Australian to coach a State of Origin team.

Playing career

Lowe was an Otahuhu Leopards junior and played in their premier side before he retired early due to injury.1984 Autex Rugby League Annual, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1984. p.53

Coaching career

1970s

Lowe had begun coaching the Otahuhu under 18s in 1974 before becoming a first grade coach in 1977 at Otahuhu. The club won the Fox Memorial in his first year as coach. In 1979 he moved to the Brisbane club competition, coaching Northern Suburbs.

1980s

In 1980 Lowe took the Norths club to the Brisbane Rugby League grand final which they won. He coached Norths until the end of the 1982 season, his last game being against the Arthur Beetson-coached Redcliffe Dolphins at Dolphin Oval. {{Citation needed|date=June 2016}}In 1983, Graham Lowe was appointed coach of New Zealand. He would relinquish the Kiwis role in 1985 but returned to coach the Kiwis in 1985 and 1986. Under Lowe's coaching the Kiwis won two (including NZ's first win over Australia in twelve years at Lang Park in 1983) and lost 5 games, mostly losing to the powerful Wally Lewis-led Australians (NZ lost all three tests of the 1986 Trans-Tasman Tests).In 1986, he moved to Britain's Rugby Football League competition, where he was to coach English club Wigan. Wigan had been bereft of success for 27 years. However, under Lowe's coaching at club level, Wigan would re-emerge to be a power in the British game. It was while Lowe was coaching that Wigan were able to secure the signatures of Great Britain players Ellery Hanley and Andy Gregory. Graham Lowe was the coach in Wigan's 15–8 victory over Oldham in the 1986 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1986–87 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens, on Sunday 19 October 1986,WEB,weblink 1986–1987 Lancashire Cup Final, wigan.rlfans.com, 31 December 2011, 1 January 2012, coach in the 28–16 victory over Warrington in the 1987 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1987–88 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens, on Sunday 11 October 1987,WEB,weblink 1987–1988 Lancashire Cup Final, wigan.rlfans.com, 31 December 2011, 1 January 2012, and coach in the 22–17 victory over Salford in the 1988 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1988–89 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Sunday 23 October 1988.WEB,weblink 1988–1989 Lancashire Cup Final, wigan.rlfans.com, 31 December 2014, 1 January 2015, Lowe led Wigan to their first Championship in 27-years during the 1986–87 season, and would go on to guide Wigan to their 1987 World Club Challenge victory over Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, the English club's first ever WCC title. He would also lead Wigan to success in both the 1988 and 1989 Challenge Cup finals.

1990s

{{BLP unsourced section|date=May 2016}}Moving back to Australia, Lowe coached the team he had beaten in the 1987 WCC, Manly-Warringah, between 1990 and 1992. He was successful in bringing the Sea Eagles back to the finals in 1990 and 1991. During 1991, Lowe was appointed coach of the Queensland Maroons State of Origin team, becoming the first and so far only non-Australian to coach in the rugby league showpiece. After being appointed Maroons coach Lowe suffered from health problems when a blood clot in his leg threatened to end not only his coaching career but his life. He recovered in time to lead Queensland to a 2–1 victory over NSW in the 1991 State of Origin series. He was re-appointed for the 1992 series but Qld went down to the Phil Gould-coached Blues two games to one.Graham Lowe also coached the Western Samoan side for the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.In 1996, Lowe coached the North Queensland Cowboys on a one-year contract before stepping aside for Tim Sheens.In the late 1990s he was a part owner of the Auckland Warriors.

2000s

In 2008 Lowe coached in New Zealand with the Bay of Plenty Stags of the National ProvincialCompetition.Graham Lowe back coaching {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608125138weblink |date=8 June 2008 }} Sunday News, 8 June 2008

Administration career

On 25 November 2009, Lowe was appointed the chief executive officer of Manly Sea Eagles. He stood down from this position in April 2011 due to health issues.Lowe stands down as Manly CEO {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026142515weblink |date=26 October 2012}} rleague.co.nz, 28 April 2011In the 2016 Auckland local elections, Lowe contested the Albany ward of the Auckland Council for Auckland Future.NEWS,weblink Former coach stands for Council, LocalMatters, 24 June 2016, 13 October 2016, He came fourth, missing out on one of two council positions.WEB,weblink Election Results 2016 – Albany Ward, Auckland Council, 13 October 2016, In January 2017, the previously liquidated Bradford Bulls was under the control of Lowe. His first move at the club was to remove then-current coach Rohan Smith with replaced by former Manly Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey. The announcement of the replacement was followed by the signing of the Samoa Rugby Union Sevens sensation Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa.

Honours

In the 1986 New Year Honours, Lowe was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for community service.{{London Gazette |issue=50362 |date=31 December 1985 |page=31 |supp=2}}In the 2013 New Year Honours, Lowe was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community.WEB,weblink New Year honours list 2013, 31 December 2012, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 10 January 2018, In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to youth and education.WEB,weblink Queen's Birthday honours list 2019, 3 June 2019, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 3 June 2019,

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

• BOOK, Richard Becht, Lowe and behold: the Graham Lowe story, Harlen Publishing Co Ltd, 1986,weblink 9780908630240,

External links

• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081015072759weblink">Graham Lowe at New Zealand's Celebrity Speakers website

North Queensland Cowboys| years = 1996} QueenslandRugby League State of Origin>State of Origin| years = 1991-1992}Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles| years = 1990-1992}{{Northern Suburbs squad - 1980 BRL premiers}}{{Wigan - 1987 World Club Challenge winners}}{{Wigan RLFC - 1988 Challenge Cup Final winners}}{{Wigan RLFC - 1989 Challenge Cup Final winners}}{{New Zealand 1988 Rugby League World Cup final squad}}{{Western Samoa 1995 Rugby League World Cup squad}}{{Navboxes|title= Coaching positions|list1= {{Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Coaches}}{{New Zealand national rugby league team coaches}}{{North Queensland Cowboys coaches}}{{Queensland State of Origin coaches}}{{Samoa national rugby league team coaches}}{{Wigan Warriors coaches}}}}{{Authority control}}