Irvine played at halfback for
Canterbury and the
South Island. He played for Canterbury in their 1962 match against and for the South Island in their 1963 match against
South Africa. In 1965, Irvine made his debut for
New Zealand, becoming
Kiwi #442. Irvine went on to play in seven test matches for New Zealand. Irvine won the
New Zealand Rugby League's player of the year award in 1968. ==References==