Family came first for rugby legend
Taranaki rugby centurion Ian Eliason played more first class games than anyone else in the province’s history, but family and farming played as large a part of his life, his funeral service was told.
Eliason died on Sunday at his home in New Plymouth after a short illness, aged 73.
A large gathering of family, friends, ex-All Black and Taranaki rugby representatives, and members of Eliason’s Kaponga Rugby Club farewelled him at New Plymouth’s TSB Stadium yesterday.
They were entertained for nearly two hours by family members and former teammates with memories on and off the field of the popular player, known to many as ‘‘Legs’’.
Eliason played a record 222 games for Taranaki between 1964 and 1981, and 19 for the All Blacks in 1972-73.
It is estimated the durable lock played around 600 games for New Zealand, Taranaki, North Island, All Black trials and Kaponga, and travelled up to 85,000 kilometres to practices and games during nearly 20 years of rugby.
Only once did he leave the field for injury, and in one game, against Southland, he played on with a broken leg, scoring a try in the process.
In the days before ‘rest and rotation’ Eliason played eight of nine games on the 1972 All Black internal tour within 18 days.
He later became an administrator and served as Taranaki Rugby Union vice-president, president and patron.
Known to have a keen eye for accounting, he had two rules as union president – the vice president always drove, and always bought the coffee.
Away from the countless hours preparing, playing and serving the best interests of the game, Eliason spent as much time with his family and grandchildren, his son-in-law David Utumapu said.
‘‘As a family when we were together, he hardly ever talked about rugby unless there was a game on,’’ he said.
‘‘For Ian it was always family first, and he was always there when someone in the family graduated, or there was family celebration.’’
Eliason left Opunake High School a day before turning 15 – ‘‘just to prove a point’’ – and worked on the family dairy farm until he retired to New Plymouth in 2003, Utumapu said.
‘‘Ian loved the farm, and over the years I enjoyed learning the finer details of dairy farming from him,’’ he said.
‘‘For Ian there were five seasons, not four, in the year for dairy farmers – the fifth season being the rugby season.’’
After retirement he would spend 2-3 days a week back on the farm where son, Mathew, had taken over the business.
Eliason’s life was always about working hard and having fun – whether with family, playing rugby, travelling, or exercising in the pool.
Wherever he went, he left the impression with people of being approachable, humble and friendly, Utumapu said.
Eliason heard of his All Black selection in 1972 on the radio while milking cows.
‘‘There was pure celebration when his name was read out and the cows got spooked with all the cheering,’’ he said.
Rugby tours with the All Blacks and Taranaki later planted the seed to travel widely.
On a family holiday to Los Angeles, Eliason asked a young woman in a lift if there was a gun in her violin case.
When she said it was a violin and whether he played, Eliason replied ‘‘only the fool’’, Utumapu said.
On rugby trips he would often welcome new players who had fallen asleep on the bus by sticking a rolled up piece of paper up their nostrils, former Taranaki teammate John Thwaites said.
He was also the brunt of team pranks as teammates would hide his underpants after games, Thwaites said.
‘‘He was known as a gentle giant but he could also take the knocks,’’ he said.
‘‘Everyone loved him for his friendship and kindness. He will be dearly missed.’’
Daughter Rachael said some of her father’s favourite sayings were ‘‘keep into it, or ‘‘keep out of it,’’ followed by a fist pump..
‘‘His advice to us was always stand up straight and talk to people,’’ she said. ‘‘The small things meant everything to him.’’
Eliason is survived by his wife Ngaire, daughters Tania, and Rachael, son Mathew, grandchildren Elias, Lucca, Lucinda and Keely, and sister Janie. He was buried at Kaponga Cemetery alongside his sister, Beverley.