| Robert Coupland | |
| Fullname: | Robert William Coupland |
| Birth Date: | 24 September 1904 |
| Birth Place: | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Death Place: | Sydney, Australia |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm off-spin |
| Club1: | Otago |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 7 |
| Runs1: | 165 |
| Bat Avg1: | 15.00 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/0 |
| Top Score1: | 32 |
| Deliveries1: | 571 |
| Wickets1: | 14 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 20.14 |
| Fivefor1: | 0 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 4/41 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 5/– |
| Date: | 31 July 2020 |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/36761.html ESPNcricinfo |
Robert William Coupland (24 September 1904 – 29 September 1968) was a New Zealand cricketer and senior tourism official. He played seven first-class matches for Otago between 1930 and 1933.[1]
Bob Coupland was born in Christchurch, where he attended West Christchurch District High School.[2] He was a medium-paced off-spin bowler and useful batsman in the lower order.[3]
After three seasons playing District Cricket in Melbourne, where he also represented Victoria at rugby union,[2] he returned to New Zealand and had a successful season in Wanganui senior cricket before moving to Invercargill in 1929. In his first match in Invercargill club cricket he took 9 for 15.[4] He represented Southland, captaining the team in a two-day match against the touring MCC team in 1929–30. He "turned the ball prodigiously" and took 7 for 86 in MCC's only innings.[5]
Later in 1930 Coupland was transferred in his work to Dunedin, and began playing for Otago.[6] His best performances for Otago came in the match against Auckland in 1932–33, when he scored 32 not out and took 4 for 41 in the second innings.[7]
Coupland managed the office of the Government Tourist Department in Dunedin. He was transferred to Christchurch in September 1933 to manage the office there.[8] He played no further first-class cricket, although he continued to play senior club cricket in Christchurch and represented Canterbury in minor matches. Playing for Canterbury against South Canterbury in 1937–38 he took 8 for 17 including a hat-trick.[9] [10] In April 1938 he was transferred to the head office of the Tourist Department in Wellington, where he continued to play senior club cricket into the 1940s.[11] [12] In August 1946 he was appointed the New Zealand tourism department's regional manager for the southern states of Australia, based in Melbourne.[13] In 1953, Coupland was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[14]