John Taiaroa
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Birth name | John Grey Taiaroa Teone Wiwi Taiaroa[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 16 September 1862 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Otakou, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 31 December 1907 | (aged 45)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Otago Harbour, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Otago Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable relative(s) | Hōri Kerei Taiaroa (father) Tini Kerei Taiaroa (mother) Te Matenga Taiaroa (grandfather) Dick Taiaroa (brother) Thomas Ellison (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Lawyer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cricket information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1891/92–1898/99 | Hawke's Bay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First-class debut | 9 January 1892 v Taranaki | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last First-class | 26 December 1898 v Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 22 January 2017 |
John Grey Taiaroa (16 September 1862 – 31 December 1907), of Ngāi Tahu descent, was a New Zealand rugby union player. A halfback, he played nine matches for New Zealand in 1884—the warm-up in Wellington and all eight matches of the tour of New South Wales; New Zealand won all eight games. There were no test matches on the tour, as Australia did not play their first test match until 1899.[2] Taiaroa was the highest try scorer of the tour.[3]
Born in Otakou, the son of Hōri Kerei Taiaroa, a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Taiaroa played school-boy rugby for Otago Boys' High School and then for the Otago provincial side. He went on to set a national record in the long jump and represent Hawke's Bay in first-class cricket during the 1890s as an attacking batsman.[4][5][6]
In 1886 Taiaroa hit the headlines after signing his father's name on a promissory note. Despite a warrant being issued for his arrest, it was not served and the charges were later dropped.[7][8]
He spent most of his working life as a lawyer in Hastings. He was accidentally drowned in Otago Harbour on 31 December 1907[9] and his body was recovered at Karitane beach two weeks later.[10]
References
[edit]![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Teone Wiwi ‘Jack’ Taiaroa. maorisportsawards.co.nz
- ^ Sean Fagan (2010). "The Famous Maori Footballer, Jack Taiaroa". JottingsOnRugby.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ Ryan 1993, pp. 23.
- ^ Knight, Lindsay. "John Taiaroa". New Zealand Rugby Museum. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ "John Taiaroa | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials". ESPNcricinfo. 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ "Cricket". Hawke's Bay Herald. Vol. XXIX, no. 9633. 19 March 1894. p. 4.
- ^ "Papers Past – Star – 5 May 1887 – MAGISTRATE'S COURT". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ "Papers Past – Daily Telegraph – 14 May 1887 – THE CHARGE AGAINST YOUNG TAIAROA DISMISSED". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
- ^ "The death of Taiaroa". Bay of Plenty Times. 17 January 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ "Recovery of Taiaroa's body". Wanganui Chronicle. 16 January 1908. p. 8. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
Sources
[edit]- Ryan, Greg (1993). Forerunners of the All Blacks. Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury University Press. ISBN 978-0-908812-30-1.
- 1907 deaths
- 1862 births
- Ngāi Tahu people
- New Zealand international rugby union players
- 19th-century New Zealand lawyers
- New Zealand cricketers
- Hawke's Bay cricketers
- New Zealand Māori lawyers
- People from Otago Peninsula
- Deaths by drowning in New Zealand
- New Zealand male long jumpers
- Otago rugby union players
- People educated at Otago Boys' High School
- Hawke's Bay rugby union players
- Ellison family
- Rugby union scrum-halves
- Rugby union players from Otago
- 20th-century New Zealand lawyers
- Colony of New Zealand people
- New Zealand rugby union players