Gordon Timothy Bray
AM (born 23 June 1949) is an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal ...
sports commentator and sports journalist. He is colloquially known as "The Voice of Rugby".
[Voice of rugby Gordon Bray joins Ten , The Australian 12 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013](_blank)
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Early life
Brought up in the Sydney suburb of Canada Bay and educated at Homebush Boys High School, Bray was a talented schoolboy rugby union footballer representing NSW Combined High Schools and subsequently Eastern Suburbs. While not pursuing a full-time career in rugby, he subsequently made cameo appearances at several tournaments, including the Ettamogah Pub Sevens competition in Albury
Albury () is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of the Murray River. Albury is the seat of local government for the council area which also bears the city's name – the ...
, the Hong Kong Tens and the World Classics in Bermuda
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Career
Bray's broadcasting career began in 1969 with ABC Sport in Sydney. He spent 25 years commentating for the ABC in Sydney and Hobart, then 16 months at the Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...
followed by 16 years at the Seven Network
The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by Seven West Media Limited, and is one of five main free-to-air television networks in Australi ...
. He has also worked for Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world.
The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the F ...
. Bray has commentated at nine Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...
, five Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 British Empire Game ...
, and nearly 400 rugby internationals, including all nine Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb ...
s.
In April 2013, Bray joined Network Ten as its chief rugby commentator, after Ten acquired the rugby free-to-air broadcast rights for three years, starting 2013.New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
.
Honours and awards
In 2000 Gordon Bray was awarded an Australian Sports Medal
The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...
for his services to rugby through refereeing and for being a long time supporter via television broadcasting.
In the June 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List he was made a Member of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...
"For service to broadcasting as a sports commentator, to the promotion of Rugby Union football, and to the community".
He is also a past recipient of the prestigious Penguin Award for sports broadcasting.
In 1999 Gordon had a street named after him in Lidcombe NSW: Gordon Bray Circuit.
Community work
Bray is an ambassador for Legacy Australia
Legacy is an Australian non-profit organisation established in 1923 by ex-servicemen. Legacy provides support to the families of Australian Defence Force men and women who have lost their life or health in conflicts such as World War I, World ...
, a charity which supports war widows and their families. Legacy supported Gordon as a child after he lost his parents at an early age.
In 2012, Bray was an Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port J ...
Ambassador in NSW.Gordon Bray AM is Parkes Shire's 2012 Australia Day Ambassador , Parkes Shire Council. Retrieved 17 April 2013
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bray, Gordon
Australian sportswriters
Members of the Order of Australia
1949 births
Living people
Australian rugby union commentators