Dean Bell

Dean Bell

Personal information
Full name	Dean Cameron Bell
Born	(1962-04-29) 29 April 1962 (age 54) New Zealand
Playing information
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
Position	Wing, Centre, Loose forward
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 19?? Manukau 1982–83 Carlisle 23 1983–84 Leeds 22 5 0 0 20 1984–86 Easts (Sydney) 42 8 0 0 36 1986–94 Wigan 253 96 0 0 384 1995 Auckland Warriors 19 3 0 0 12 1996 Leeds Rhinos 1 0 0 0 0 Total 360 112 0 0 452 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 19?? Auckland 1982 Cumbria 1 0 0 0 0 1983–?? NZ Māori 8 1983–89 New Zealand 26 15 0 0 60 1987 South Island 1 0 0 0 0 1988 Rest of the World 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1996–97 Leeds Rhinos 44 19 1 24 43
Source: Yesterday's Hero

Dean 'Deano'/'Mean Dean' Bell is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer and coach. A New Zealand international representative centre, he played his club football in England, Australia and New Zealand, but most notably with Wigan, with whom he won seven consecutive Challenge Cup Finals, a Lance Todd Trophy and a Man of Steel Award. He later coached English club Leeds for two seasons. He is a member of the famous Bell rugby league family that includes George, Ian, Cameron, Glenn, Cathy Bell and Clayton Friend.

Bell began his career in 1979 playing for the Manukau Magpies in the Auckland Rugby League competition. In 2011 he was named Manukau's Player of the Century.

Bell then moved to England in August 1982, playing for Carlisle and Leeds over the next two seasons. Dean Bell played Centre, i.e. number 4, in Leeds' 18-10 victory over Widnes in the 1983–84 John Player Special Trophy Final during the 1983–84 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 14 January 1984. At the end of the 1983/84 season he joined Eastern Suburbs in Australia, playing 42 games for them over the next three seasons. In 1987 Bell was a guest player for the South Island in a match against Auckland. In 1986 he joined Wigan, where he was to experience his greatest success. While at Wigan, Bell became a Seven-time Challenge Cup winner (including three as captain), a Six-time Championship winner, a One-time World Sevens winner, a Five-time John Player Trophy winner, a Two-time Premiership winner and a Four-time Lancashire County Cup winner.