His uncle Frank Herring was a prominent rugby union player in the early 1900s and played for the City club, and represented Auckland and the North Island.

[13] Herring missed a conversion following a try late in the match to Claude List, but with little more than a minute remaining he scored a try near the posts which was converted by Bill Cornthwaite.

[14] The New Zealand Herald wrote in a review of the match that Jim Laird "was perhaps the best of the forwards, but Herring, Herb Carter and Fraser Webberley worked hard in the tight in the second spell".

[15] Herring was named in the reserves for the first grade sides Max Jaffe Cup charity match with Ponsonby United on October 8 but is unlikely to have taken the field.

At the start of the season in a preview of various teams prospects the New Zealand Herald wrote that "a trio of promising forwards, Herring, Iveson, and Flanagan, will assist the [Marist] vanguard".

[68] Herring found himself at prop with Selwyn Davis and John Donald his front row partners, up against B Green, A. Blake, and J. Hartwell of Western Suburbs.

[92] In a bad tempered game with Marist that featured a lot of fighting, Herring was sent off along with Wilf Hassan, Herb Carter, and Huck Flanagan by referee Maurice Wetherill.

[107] It was reported that in the Auckland forward Lou Hutt and Harold Tetley "were possibly the best", but Cliff Satherley, Jim Laird, and Herring "were always in the picture".

[109] For the game against the West Coast at Victoria Park in Greymouth on September 11 Herring was chosen in the second row alongside Cliff Satherley, with Harold Tetley at lock.

It was said that the West Coast forward had been superior, but the Auckland backs led by captain Bert Cooke, and Lou Brown proved the difference.

In mid April in an article on the various senior teams prospects the Auckland Star reported that Mount Albert would have Flanagan, Herring, Constable, Gunning, and Shadbolt in their pack.

[121] In their round 1, Fox Memorial match Mount Albert beat Newton narrowly 6–5 with Herring scoring their first try tp put them ahead 3–2 at halftime.

The Auckland Star joked that "men who looked like Petersen, Herring, and Flanagan were always in the thick of the mud for Mount Albert" while the Herald said the same players were "to the fore".

If Mount Albert had beaten Marist in round 14 their postponed match with City would have been required and a win would have seen them draw level with Manukau thus necessitating a playoff for the title.

[142] Representative player Cliff Satherley had joined the Mount Albert side as player-coach and led them to a 21–10 win with Martin Hanson, Richard Shadbolt and Herring giving "splendid support".

[147] Herring was not mentioned in the newspapers in any of their matches with Marist, Ponsonby, and New Plymouth when they participated in a ‘travel round’ where six of their Auckland senior sides played games around the North Island on June 19.

Mount Albert beat North Shore 38–22 however Marist also won (17–8 over Ponsonby) and Richmond defeated Newton easily 30–9 to claim the championship.

[163] However on match day due to the unavailability of several players the forward were reorganised and Herring played in the second row alongside Angus Gault with John Anderson at lock.

[167] The Herald noted that Mount Albert were fielding a very experienced forward pack which included Richard Shadbolt, Bert Leatherbarrow, Herring, Joseph Gunning, Jack Tristram, and Martin Hansen.

[170] The Auckland Star also sang his praises saying "Herring was the best forward of the match, and if he maintains his present form should be well in the running when a representative selection is made".

[179] Herring was unsurprisingly named in the Auckland team to play the Rest of the North Island on May 18 by selectors, Bert Avery, Hec Brisbane, and A. Renwick.

[184] When the North Island team was named there were twelve Auckland players chosen, with the only exception being Herring propping partner, Joe Cootes who was from Wellington.

[187] Following the inter-island match Herring was selected by Hec Brisbane, Thomas McClymont, Jim Amos for the New Zealand team to tour Australia.

[193] The same day they were given a civic farewell by the Mayor, Sir Ernest Davis at the Auckland Town Hall at noon following a morning tea at George Court, Limited.

[196] In player profiles in the Sydney Morning Herald it said that Herring was "strong and brainy, he can handle with the ability of a back, and is good both in the tight and the loose" with a portrait photograph of him appearing with the comments.

[200] Another article wrote that the New Zealand side's "speed nonplussed the home backs, Brodrick, McNeight and Herring often combining with the three-quarters in dangerous rushes".

[206] The Northern Star newspaper said "it was not uncommon in the second half to see J. Cootes, Glynn, Satherley and Herring in complete control of the ball, beating off the determined individual efforts of McLaren, Bond, Lever and Norton.

Later in the half Bruce Donaldson and Martin Hansen made a break but Bert Leatherbarrow dropped the ball, however Herring "was on hand" and scored a try which he also converted.

Another photo was published in the New Zealand Herald following Mount Albert's win over Ponsonby which showed Herring breaking from a scrum to chase the play.

At the start of the 1941 season Herring was named in a 24 player Mount Albert senior squad but he did not play in any matches for them and his rugby league career had come to an end.