Leonard Barchard (3 February 1909 – 14 July 1975) represented the New Zealand rugby league team in 1930, becoming the 203rd Kiwi.

[1] Barchard began playing rugby league for City Rovers senior side in 1929 after transferring there from Ponsonby United at the beginning of the season.

[3] His older brother Lawrence (‘Laurie’ in match reports) was playing at fullback for City Rovers also after debuting in 1928.

[13] The New Zealand Truth reported that “Young Len Barchard played the game of his life in the pack”.

[14] The New Zealand touring team departed Wellington for Australia on 27 June for Sydney on board the Huddart Parker steamer Ulimaron.

New Zealand lost two other players to injury and with the no replacement rule in the second half found themselves down to 10 men and they went on to lose 29–2 at the Sydney Cricket Ground before a crowd of 19,060.

[19] During the game he was taken out of the scrum and played as an extra back and was said to have “made clever openings, showing a side-step and swerve which are essential for a five-eighths.

Barchard has plenty of pace and his game was so impressive that City intends giving him further chances as a five-eighths”.

In the 1931 season he played 14 more matches for City Rovers but his representative career had perhaps surprisingly come to an end with other players favoured over him for the Auckland side.

Barchard began the season with City but seemingly only played in the 30 April game against Newton as he was not listed in any team line ups beyond this point.

[28] Len would intermittently be listed in the senior side for Marist during the year, appearing in approximately 8 games in total.

[29] In June 1937 he was listed in the senior side squad but as an emergency player and the same again for a Roope Rooster and Phelan Shield matches on 11 and 18 September respectively.

[39] Barchard married Berenice Marjorie Hanlon (1912-1995) at St Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland, on 28 December 1935.