‘Tough as teak’ ex-AB Lister dies
South Canterbury’s most capped test All Black Tom Lister has died in Timaru, aged 73.
A tough, aggressive loose forward Lister played eight tests for the All Blacks, the first in 1968 against Australia while his final test was against the British and Irish Lions in 1971, ending his international career with a try.
Lister was considered unlucky not to have played more tests but was up against the likes of Brian Lochore, Kel Tremain, Waka Nathan, Ian Kirkpatrick, Alan Sutherland and Alex Wyllie when at his best.
He retired temporarily from first class rugby in 1972 but then returned to represent South Canterbury for the following two seasons and became part of local folklore as part of the successful Ranfurly Shield challenge against Marlborough in 1974.
That performance and the two Shield defences won him a recall to the South side for his fourth appearance in an interisland match but he failed to gain national honours again and at 30 he retired for good.
A fisherman turned farmer, Lister died after a short battle with cancer on Sunday.
South Canterbury Rugby Union president and former Ranfurly Shield winning team-mate Murray Roberts said Lister was as ‘‘tough as teak’’.
‘‘Tom was totally uncompromising. You felt uplifted when he was in the team, he was an inspiration.’’
Roberts said he would have played more for the All Blacks but was in an era when there were some outstanding loose forwards around.
‘‘I remember when we lost the shield to Wellington, he was up against Graham Mourie, Graham Williams and Andy Leslie and the commentator said he was the best loose forward on the park. He still should have been an All Black.’’
SCRU historian Jeremy Sutherland interviewed Lister for South Canterbury’s 125th anniversary book.
‘‘That generation of All Blacks had a gruff exterior but were good guys when you said down with them. Tom was really interesting.
‘‘Not many people got the better of Tom, including Willie John McBride, which why he was recalled to play the Lions.’’
Sutherland said Lister came back for South Canterbury as he desperately wanted to win the Ranfurly Shield, after missing out a couple of times when Wellington challenged.
‘‘He was really keen to be part of a Log o’ Wood winning team.’’
Lister was from a talented sporting family, his brother John played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Born in Ashburton, educated at Temuka Primary School and Waitaki Boys’ High School, he represented South Canterbury primary schools at first five.
Lister made South Canterbury in 1962, in his first year of playing senior rugby for Old Boys, and retains the record for the youngest forward ever selected at 18 years, eight months and nine days.
He then moved to Wellington in 1965 to improve his chances of playing for the All Blacks.
Lister linked up with Terry McCashin, who would also become an All Black, and played for Wellington’s Athletic Rugby Club.
The pair both worked for a time as rubbish collectors, which helped them become extremely fit.
Lister played 40 games for Wellington over three seasons from 1965 to 1967, including back to back wins over the Springboks and the Lions.
He was also in the New Zealand Junior sides which met the tourists in those years.
In 1968 he returned to South Canterbury and got his big break when played in both tests, in his first All Black tour to Australia.
He also played against France later that year, then Wales in 1969 and two more against South Africa in 1970, before being called into the fourth test against the 1971 Lions and scored a try in the 14-all draw, to add to the one he had scored against Australia in Brisbane in 1968.
In his All Black career he played a total of 26 games scoring 11 tries.
Lister also turned out for South Canterbury on 72 occasions from 1962 to 1974, and in 1969 was the province’s ‘Sportsperson of the Year’. His funeral is on Wednesday in Timaru.