Robert Herbert Ayres (11 January 1914 – July 1993) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played at representative level for England, British Empire and Lancashire, and at club level for Barrow, as a prop, or second-row, i.e. 8 or 10, or, 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.