Gordon Bray AM

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

 (born 23 June 1949) has risen to prominence as one of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

's leading sports commentators, earning himself the title, "The Voice of Rugby".

Brought up in the Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 suburb of Canada Bay

Canada Bay, New South Wales

Canada Bay is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Canada Bay is located 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Canada Bay....

 and educated at the publicly funded Homebush Boys High School

Homebush Boys High School

Homebush Boys High School, founded in 1936, is a comprehensive public high school for boys. It is located in Homebush, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....

, 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 has since made cameo appearances at several tournaments, including the Ettamogah Pub Sevens competition in Albury

Albury, New South Wales

Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...

, the Hong Kong Tens and the World Classics in Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

.

He has previously commentated on six Olympic Games

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

, five Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....

, and more than 300 rugby internationals, including four Rugby World Cups. His broadcasting experience spans a career of over 40 years.

Bray has previously commentated for the ABC, BBC, Fox Sports, and Network Ten before joining the Seven Network

Seven Network

The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

, where he's currently employed.

In 2001 he was awarded an Australian Sports Medal

Australian Sports Medal

The Australian Sports Medal was an award given during 2000 to recognise achievements in Australian sport.Recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, office holders, and people who maintained sporting facilities and services. Over 18,000 Medals were...

 for his services to sport, and in the June 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List he was made a Member of the Order of Australia

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

 for his services to rugby and the community. He is also a past recipient of the prestigious Penguin Award for his sports broadcasting talents.

Gordon is the author of several books on rugby union as well as an autobiography

Autobiography

An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...

 titled From the Ruck published in 1997. He is an active Level 2 qualified referee and coach.

Gordon continues to support many charities, most notably Legacy, which supported Gordon as a child after he lost his parents at an early age.

In 1999 Gordon had a street named after him in Lidcombe NSW, Gordon Bray Circuit.

Bray is married and has one son and a daughter.

External links

• Channel Seven biography
• Interview on The Sports Factor on ABC Radio National
  Radio National
  ABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
  
  broadcast October 2003