// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Ian Eliason a good liar? Ian-credible.
| Born | Ian Matheson Eliason 6 June 1945 Kaponga, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | 24 February 2019 (aged 73) New Plymouth, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 100 kg (220 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Opunake High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ian Matheson Eliason (6 June 1945 – 24 February 2019) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A lock, Eliason represented Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1972 to 1973. He played 19 games for the All Blacks but did not appear in any test matches.[1] He was the first All Black to come from the Kaponga club and played a record 222 provincial matches.
Eliason, known widely as 'Legs' died in New Plymouth on 24 February 2019.[2]
Awards and appointments
[edit]Eliason was made a life member of the Taranaki Rugby Football Union in 1981 and also went on to serve as President, Vice-President and Patron. He was posthumously inducted into the Taranaki Sports Hall of Fame in November 2025.[3][4]
At the time of his induction former Taranaki teammates Graham Mourie and John Thwaites said he was a highly respected figure in Taranaki rugby.
“He’s a great bloke. He was good with the young players when they first came into to the team. He made them feel part of the team, but he was a great guy sharing his friendship with all the players and making them feel needed.” Thwaites said.[5]
References
[edit]- ↑ Knight, Lindsay. "Ian Eliason". New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
- ↑ Watson, Mike (25 February 2019). "Former All Black and Taranaki rugby stalwart Ian 'Legs' Eliason dies". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ↑ "Sport Taranaki". www.sporttaranaki.org.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ↑ "Sport News Taranaki". sportsnewstaranaki.co.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ↑ "Sport Taranaki". www.sporttaranaki.org.nz. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
External links
[edit]New Zealand Rugby Football Union: https://stats.allblacks.com/all-players/profile/Ian-Eliason-AB-706
Taranaki Sports Hall of Fame biography page: https://www.sporttaranaki.org.nz/about-mo-matou/our-history/ian-eliason
Taranaki Rugby Football Union https://www.trfu.co.nz/TRFU-1/centurions-1
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- 1945 births
- 2019 deaths
- People from Kaponga
- People educated at Opunake High School
- New Zealand rugby union players
- New Zealand international rugby union players
- Taranaki rugby union players
- Rugby union locks
- Rugby union players from Taranaki
- 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen
- New Zealand rugby union biography, 1940s birth stubs