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John Grey "Jack" 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 the New Zealand national team 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 there was not yet an Australian national team, and would not be until 1903.[2]

Jack Taiaroa

Birth name	John Grey Taiaroa Teone Wiwi Taiaroa[1]
Date of birth	(1862-09-16)16 September 1862
Place of birth	Otakou, New Zealand
Date of death	31 December 1907(1907-12-31) (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
Position(s) Halfback All Black No. 13 Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1881–84 1887–89 Otago Hawke's Bay () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1884 New Zealand 0 (0)
Cricket information
Domestic team information
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
Competition First-class Matches 8 Runs scored 140 Batting average 14.00 100s/50s 0/0 Top score 32* Balls bowled 89 Wickets 1 Bowling average 43.00 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 1-9 Catches/stumpings 2/0
Source: CricketArchive, 22 January 2017

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.[3][4][5]

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.[6][7]

He spent most of his working life as a lawyer in Hastings. He was accidentally drowned in Otago Harbour on 31 December 1907[8] and his body was recovered at Karitane beach two weeks later.[9]

References

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