.jpg) Lowe in 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Graham Michael Lowe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1946-10-02)2 October 1946 (age 79)[citation needed] New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sir Graham Michael LoweKNZM QSM is the owner of theBradford Bulls together with fellow New ZealanderAndrew Chalmers.[2] He is a New Zealand formerrugby league football coach and administrator. He previously coached in Australia and England and was the CEO of theManly-Warringah Sea Eagles. He is also the only non-Australian to coach aState of Origin team.
Lowe was anOtahuhu Leopards junior and played in their premier side before he retired early due to injury.[3]
Lowe had begun coaching the Otahuhu under 18s in 1974 before becoming a first grade coach in 1977 at Otahuhu. The club won theFox Memorial in his first year as coach. In 1979 he moved to theBrisbane club competition, coachingNorthern Suburbs.
In 1980 Lowe took the Norths club to theBrisbane Rugby Leaguegrand final which they won. He coached Norths until the end of the 1982 season, his last game being against theArthur Beetson-coached Redcliffe Dolphins at Dolphin Oval.[citation needed]In 1983, Graham Lowe was appointed coach ofNew 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 powerfulWally Lewis-ledAustralians (NZ lost all three tests of the 1986 Trans-Tasman Tests).
In 1986, he moved to Britain'sRugby Football League competition, where he was to coach English clubWigan. 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 ofGreat Britain playersEllery Hanley andAndy Gregory. Graham Lowe was thecoach inWigan's 15–8 victory overOldham in the1986 Lancashire Cup Final during the1986–87 season atKnowsley Road,St. Helens, on Sunday 19 October 1986,[4]coach in the 28–16 victory overWarrington in the1987 Lancashire Cup Final during the1987–88 season atKnowsley Road,St. Helens, on Sunday 11 October 1987,[5] andcoach in the 22–17 victory overSalford in the1988 Lancashire Cup Final during the1988–89 season atKnowsley Road,St. Helens on Sunday 23 October 1988.[6] Lowe led Wigan to their firstChampionship in 27-years during the1986–87 season, and would go on to guide Wigan to their1987 World Club Challenge victory overManly-Warringah Sea Eagles, the English club's first ever WCC title. He would also lead Wigan to success in both the 1988 and 1989Challenge Cup finals.
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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 in1990 and1991. During 1991, Lowe was appointed coach of theQueensland MaroonsState 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 overNSW in the1991 State of Origin series. He was re-appointed for the1992 series but Qld went down to thePhil Gould-coached Blues two games to one.
Graham Lowe also coached theWestern Samoan side for the1995 Rugby League World Cup.
In 1996, Lowe coached theNorth Queensland Cowboys on a one-year contract before stepping aside forTim Sheens.
In the late 1990s he was a part owner of theAuckland Warriors.
In 2008 Lowe coached in New Zealand with theBay of Plenty Stags of theNational ProvincialCompetition.[7]
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.[8]
In the2016 Auckland local elections, Lowe contested the Albany ward of theAuckland Council for Auckland Future.[9] He came fourth, missing out on one of two council positions.[10]
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 coachGeoff Toovey. The announcement of the replacement was followed by the signing of theSamoa Rugby Union Sevens sensationPhoenix Hunapo-Nofoa.
In the1986 New Year Honours, Lowe was awarded theQueen's Service Medal for community service.[11]
In the2013 New Year Honours, Lowe was appointed anOfficer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the community.[12] In the2019 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was promoted toKnight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to youth and education.[13]
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