Phil Gifford: key obituary facts
Is Phil Gifford dead? Yes. Phil Gifford died on September 29, 2026, at age 79.
Cause of death: Phil Gifford's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Phil Gifford known for?
He was a New Zealand writer and broadcaster.
More about Phil Gifford
Born: 1947.
Gender: male.
Occupation: journalist, broadcaster.
Nationality: New Zealand.
Awards: Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Spouse: Glenda Hughes.
Also known as: Philip Douglas Gifford.
Phil Gifford, the New Zealand sportswriter and broadcaster associated with The Sunday Star-Times and Radio Sport, died on September 29, 2026, aged 79.
He was a familiar voice on Radio Sport through his rugby show Front Row, heard on Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m., and wrote a weekly column for The Sunday Star-Times while also serving as a contributing editor to North & South magazine. Gifford created the satirical rugby character Loosehead Len in 1973 and went on to publish seven books under that name.
His rugby writing included Grizz, The Legend, his book on Alex Wyllie, which became one of New Zealand’s biggest-selling sports books of the 1990s.