Media Release

14 April 2011

Celebrating a Taranaki Rugby Legend

Kaponga’s Ian Eliason has recently been named the Taranaki/Wanganui “Rugby Legend” as part of the Living Legends project.

Living Legends is a community conservation project that is coordinating 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Each planting is being run in conjunction with provincial rugby unions and dedicated to a regional ‘Rugby Legend’ who has been selected by the union. These Rugby Legends are people who have made a significant contribution to rugby in New Zealand.

Perhaps more than his status as an All Black Ian Eliason achieved his main rugby recognition for the huge contribution he made to his province. Ian made his debut for Taranaki in 1964 aged only 19 and continued playing for the union until 1981 when he was aged 36. He is thus both one of the youngest and one of the oldest to play for Taranaki. He is still involved with rugby in the province, recently appointed as Vice-President to Taranaki Rugby Union.

But it all started as a Taranaki primary school rep from the Kaponga club in rural South Taranaki for Ian Eliason. He went on from there to play for his province and racked up an impressive 222 matches for Taranaki, giving him a share of the record with Canterbury's Fergie McCormick's for the most matches for a province. The actual figure is debated however as the Taranaki Rugby Football Union figure includes a non-first class match taking the figure to 223, which would give him the record outright. It is a measure of this achievement that only a handful of others have topped 200 matches for a province.

Ian made two All Black tours: the internal tour of 1972 and a few months later the tour to Britain and France of 1972-73. He played 19 games in total for the All Blacks, his greatest achievement in rugby he says.

Since hanging up his boots Ian has remained involved in rugby through roles at Taranaki Rugby Football Union, and is kept busy helping his son out on the family farm. When time allows then he fits in games of bowls and loves to travel.

Ian says his selection to represent Taranaki/Wanganui as a Rugby Legend as part of the Living Legends project is an honour, and is appreciative of the recognition from his community. “I think it’s important that young people are involved with their community. Joining a sports club or some other activity within the community is a great thing to do.”

“I’m looking forward to New Zealand’s hosting of Rugby World Cup as it’s a chance for the average person to see some of the best players in the world” he adds.

About Living Legends

Living Legends is a community conservation project that is coordinating 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Each planting is being run in conjunction with provincial rugby unions and will be dedicated to a regional ‘Rugby Legend’ who has been selected by the union.

These Rugby Legends are people who have made a significant contribution to rugby in New Zealand.

Living Legends will plant almost 80,000 trees nationwide in 2011, and is making a five year investment to plant a total of 150,000 trees by the end of the project in 2015.

The plantings all take place on public conservation land, and will encourage New Zealanders and overseas visitors to participate in the events.

Plantings will be held in Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Wellington, Tasman, Buller/West Coast, Mid Canterbury, Christchurch, Otago and Southland.

Living Legends is a joint venture of Project Crimson, an environmental charity with 20 years experience in community-based native restoration projects and the Tindall Foundation. We are thrilled to have the support of our major sponsors the Department of Conservation and Meridian Energy.

About the Taranaki/Wanganui Living Legends planting project

The award-winning Coastal Walkway is a 7km path that forms an expansive sea-edge promenade stretching almost the entire length of New Plymouth, beside the Tasman Sea. The development of the Coastal Walkway has been a spectacular success in attracting both local and visitor communities to use and enjoy the foreshore area. The latest stage of this development extends the project to the North with the construction of the spectacular Te Rewa Rewa bridge across the Waiwhakaiho River.

The back-dune area where Living Legends will be planting has potential to contribute an important ecological component to the wider project, enhancing wildlife habitat and providing a significant area of indigenous vegetation.

On 17 September 2011, volunteers will plant 5000 additional native trees at this site as part of Living Legends programme of work.

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