Adrian Shelford

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Adrian Tremain Shelford (4 January 1964 – 19 September 2003) was a New Zealand rugby league player who played as a prop in the 1980s and 1990s. He was born in Christchurch and started his career with Hornby and Canterbury before moving to Wellington, where he played for Upper Hutt. Shelford represented New Zealand and New Zealand Māori, and he appeared in tours with the national team, earning eight Test caps.

In 1987 he moved to England amid a dispute over a club signing, and he joined Wigan after a court ruling. He became a key forward for Wigan, playing more than 80 games for the club and helping them win major finals, including the Challenge Cup at Wembley. He also spent time with the Newcastle Knights in Australia in 1988, before returning to Wigan. He later played for Manly Sea Eagles in 1990, Wakefield Trinity (1990–92), and finished his club career with the Sheffield Eagles in 1992.

Shelford’s international career included tours with the New Zealand team to Great Britain and France, and he also represented the Rest of the World in 1988. His league career was cut short by a knee injury in his late 20s. After retiring, he studied at Edge Hill University, earned honours, and taught at a high school in Wigan.

Adrian Shelford died of a heart attack in 2003, at the age of 39, in Wigan, England. He came from a rugby-playing family—his cousin Buck Shelford played for the All Blacks, and his son Kyle Shelford later debuted for Wigan, while another son, Dane Shelford, represented the Junior All Blacks at the 2015 under-19 Rugby World Championship.