Alfred Charles Townsend (23 January 1900 – 26 September 1973) was a New Zealand rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s.

Townsend originally played for the City Rovers in the Auckland Rugby League competition.

He debuted in their team in a Roope Rooster game against Newton Rangers on September 12, 1920.

Midway through the 1927 season he moved to Otago for work reasons and joined the City Rugby League Club there.

He and a "surplus" Christian Brothers player took the field for Athletic who were unsurprisingly thrashed, conceding over 50 points.