Face of the Day

Bill McCaw, who was the oldest living All Black, has died at the age of 97.

He died in a Christchurch hospital on Tuesday.

Born in Gore, McCaw went on to play five tests and 27 games for the All Blacks between 1951 and 1954 as a loose forward, scoring six tries.

He also made 50 appearances for Southland and was part of the team who beat the British Lions 11–0 in 1950.

After retirement, McCaw became a coach and administrator for the Marist club in Invercargill and served for some years on the Southland union’s management committee.

New Zealand Rugby says it was saddened to learn of McCaw’s passing.

“Bill made an important contribution to both the All Blacks and Southland rugby and had the distinction of captaining both sides,” it said in a statement.

“He wore the black jersey on 32 occasions including five Tests and continued giving back to the game in an administrative capacity for both his club and province long after his playing days.”

NZ Herald