Ian Eliason
New Zealand rugby union player (1945–2019)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
6 June 1945
| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eliason, known widely as 'Legs' died in New Plymouth on 24 February 2019.[2]
Awards and appointments
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]
