Sean Lineen’s father, Terry, dies, aged 84

Former All Blacks rugby player Terry Lineen, the father of Scotland’s 1990 Grand Slam-winning centre Sean, has passed away. Lineen senior, who earned 12 Test caps between 1957 and 1960, died aged 84, in Auckland, yesterday.

As a centre, he made his debut for the All Blacks on a tour of Australia in 1957, playing in two winning Tests and eight other matches on the trip, scoring six tries in total.

He toured Japan in 1958 and was the team’s leading try scorer and later that year started three Tests against the Wallabies on home soil.

His sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth Test caps came against the Lions in 1959 when the All Blacks won the series 3-1.

Lineen, pictured, played three Tests on a tour to South Africa in 1960, but a shoulder injury sustained on that trip forced him into retirement aged only 24, having played just over 100 first-class games.

All Blacks historian Lindsay Knight has said that Lineen “was an attacking midfielder who may have thrived more when expansive gameplans were introduced upon the arrival of professional rugby”.

Sean Lineen played for Counties-manukau before leaving New Zealand to live in Scotland, played international rugby for his adopted country. He received 29 Test caps between 1989 and 1992.

He is currently the head coach of the Scotland under-20 squad who are playing in the age-grade Six Nations and is involved with the FOSROC Super6 competition.

His sons, Cameron and Jacob, have represented Scotland at Touch rugby.

“Very sad news, our wonderful dad/poppa Terry has very sadly passed away peacefully,” Sean’s wife Lynne posted on social media.

“A very special man on and off the rugby pitch he will be remembered very fondly by rugby supporters around the world, especially in New Zealand and Scotland where he had so many friends.

“A huge loss to us all.”