{{Short description|NZ international rugby union player & cricketer}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Jack Taiaroa | image = John Taiaroa.jpg | caption = | birth_name = John Grey Taiaroa<br>Teone Wiwi Taiaroa<ref>[http://maorisportsawards.co.nz/portfolio/teone-wiwi-jack-taiaroa/ Teone Wiwi ‘Jack’ Taiaroa]. maorisportsawards.co.nz</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date|1862|09|16|df=yes}} | birth_place = Otakou, New Zealand | death_place = Otago Harbour, New Zealand | death_date = {{Death date and age|1907|12|31|1862|09|16|df=yes}} | position = Halfback | height = {{convert|1.78|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|82|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | repteam1 = {{nrut|New Zealand}} | repcaps1 = 0 | reppoints1 = 0 | repyears1 = 1884 | province1 = Otago | province2 = Hawke's Bay | provinceyears1 = 1881–84 | provinceyears2 = 1887–89 | provinceapps1 = | provincepoints1 = | occupation = Lawyer | relatives = Hōri Kerei Taiaroa (father)<br>Tini Kerei Taiaroa (mother)<br>Te Matenga Taiaroa (grandfather)<br>Dick Taiaroa (brother)<br>Thomas Ellison (cousin) | school = Otago Boys' High School | module = {{Infobox cricketer| embed = yes | batting = | bowling = | role = | image = Cricket_no_pic.png | club1 = Hawke's Bay | year1 = 1891/92–1898/99 | type1 = First-class | onetype1 = | debutdate1 = 9 January | debutyear1 = 1892 | debutfor1 = | debutagainst1 = Taranaki | lastdate1 = 26 December | lastyear1 = 1898 | lastfor1 = | lastagainst1 = Wellington
| columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 8 | runs1 = 140 | bat avg1 = 14.00 | 100s/50s1 = 0/0 | top score1 = 32* | deliveries1 = 89 | wickets1 = 1 | bowl avg1 = 43.00 | fivefor1 = 0 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 1-9 | catches/stumpings1 = 2/0
| date = 22 January 2017 | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22953/22953.html CricketArchive }} }} '''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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jottingsonrugby.com/2010/07/23/maori-rugby/ |title=The Famous Maori Footballer, Jack Taiaroa |work=JottingsOnRugby.com |year=2010 | author=Sean Fagan |accessdate=21 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103212928/http://jottingsonrugby.com/2010/07/23/maori-rugby/ |archivedate=3 January 2012 }}</ref> Taiaroa was the highest try scorer of the tour.{{sfn|Ryan|1993|pp=23}}
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.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=867 |title = John Taiaroa | last = Knight | first = Lindsay | publisher = New Zealand Rugby Museum | accessdate = 14 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/38629.html |title=John Taiaroa | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials |publisher=ESPNcricinfo|year=2011 |accessdate=21 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | work=Hawke's Bay Herald | date=19 March 1894 | page=4 | title= Cricket| url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HBH18940319.2.30| volume=XXIX | issue=9633}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=TS18870505.2.27.1&srpos=20 |title=Papers Past – Star – 5 May 1887 – MAGISTRATE'S COURT. |work=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |year=2011 |accessdate=21 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DTN18870514.2.26.2&srpos=1 |title=Papers Past – Daily Telegraph – 14 May 1887 – THE CHARGE AGAINST YOUNG TAIAROA DISMISSED.|work=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |year=2011 |accessdate=21 December 2011}}</ref>
He spent most of his working life as a lawyer in Hastings. He was accidentally drowned in Otago Harbour on 31 December 1907<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=BOPT19080117.2.38 | title=The death of Taiaroa | date=17 January 1908 | work= Bay of Plenty Times | accessdate=14 July 2013 | page=3 }}</ref> and his body was recovered at Karitane beach two weeks later.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=WC19080116.2.40.7 | title=Recovery of Taiaroa's body | date=16 January 1908 | work= Wanganui Chronicle | accessdate=14 July 2013 | page=8 }}</ref>
==References== {{Commons category|John Taiaroa}} {{Reflist}}
===Sources=== * {{cite book |last=Ryan | first=Greg | year = 1993 | title = Forerunners of the All Blacks | publisher=Canterbury University Press |location=Christchurch, New Zealand|isbn=978-0-908812-30-1 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Taiaroa, John}} Category:1907 deaths Category:1862 births Category:Ngāi Tahu people Category:New Zealand international rugby union players Category:19th-century New Zealand lawyers Category:New Zealand cricketers Category:Hawke's Bay cricketers Category:New Zealand Māori lawyers Category:People from Otago Peninsula Category:Deaths by drowning in New Zealand Category:New Zealand men long jumpers Category:Otago rugby union players Category:People educated at Otago Boys' High School Category:Hawke's Bay rugby union players Category:Ellison family Category:Rugby union scrum-halves Category:Rugby union players from Otago Category:20th-century New Zealand lawyers Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:19th-century New Zealand sportsmen