Born in Taylorville, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, Butterfield played at the nearby township of Brunner's rugby league club and also represented the West Coast. Butterfield then moved to Christchurch, playing for the Sydenham club in the Canterbury Rugby League from 1953 and also representing Canterbury. At this time he was first selected to represent New Zealand at Greymouth's Wingham Park, scoring a try in the 20-14 second test win over Great Britain. He went on to play for the Kiwis in the first Rugby League World Cup in 1954 as a second-row forward. Touring Great Britain and France with the Kiwis in the winter of 1955-56, Butterfield switched to hooker and also toured Australia in 1956. He appeared at the next World Cup in 1957 as well. Butterfield returned to the West Coast in 1958 to work in the coal mines. Rejoining Brunner Rugby League Club, he captain-coached the side to the Thacker Shield championship that year. The following year he again toured Australia with the Kiwis. In 1960 he played for New Zealand in another World Cup. He led Brunner to another championship in 1963 and also toured Australia. He'd been trying to join Australian club Manly-Warringah but the move was blocked by the NZRL. Butterfield played his final test for the Kiwis that year. He had played in 99 games, including 36 tests, for New Zealand, a record that still stands.
Australia
After being cleared to do so by the NZRL, in 1964 Butterfield signed with NSWRFL Premiership side Manly-Warringah and moved to Australia at the age of 32. After one season with the Sydney club he moved to the country, where he captain-coached Leeton in the Reverina competition. In 1965, Butterfield, along with the rest of the Manly-Warringah, visited the USA Rugby League for an exhibition match against the St. Louis Bombers Rugby Football Club. Butterfield ended up playing in the Foley Shield competition for Mount Isa and Cloncurry in Queensland's outback until his retirement in the early 1970s. Butterfield remained in Queensland and in 2001 was inducted as one of the NZRL's Legends of League. He died in Brisbane on 14 February 2004 aged 72. A regional Queensland youth rugby league tournament was named after him.
