A Canterbury and South Island representative in the 1980s,[3] Bancroft played for the Glenora Bears in the Auckland Rugby League competition and also represented Auckland.
[4] In 1988, 1989 and 1990 Bancroft won the Painter Rosebowl Trophy for being the leading goalscorer in the competition.
[citation needed] Bancroft played for English Rugby League Club Rochdale Hornets in the 1985/86 season, enjoying a good season but narrowly missing out on promotion.
[citation needed] In 1989 Bancroft was called up to the New Zealand national rugby league team and played in two test matches against Great Britain.
[5][6] Bancroft later returned to Canterbury playing for the Haswell Hornets club and the Canterbury Country Cardinals in the 1994 Lion Red Cup.