John Taiaroa

---

title: "John Taiaroa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1907-deaths", "1862-births", "ngāi-tahu-people", "new-zealand-international-rugby-union-players", "19th-century-new-zealand-lawyers", "new-zealand-cricketers", "hawke's-bay-cricketers", "new-zealand-māori-lawyers", "people-from-otago-peninsula", "deaths-by-drowning-in-new-zealand", "new-zealand-men-long-jumpers", "otago-rugby-union-players", "people-educated-at-otago-boys'-high-school", "hawke's-bay-rugby-union-players", "ellison-family", "rugby-union-scrum-halves", "rugby-union-players-from-otago", "20th-century-new-zealand-lawyers", "new-zealand-rugby-union-players", "19th-century-new-zealand-sportsmen"] description: "NZ international rugby union player & cricketer" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taiaroa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary NZ international rugby union player & cricketer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rugby biography"]

Field	Value
name	Jack Taiaroa
image	John Taiaroa.jpg
birth_name	John Grey Taiaroa
Teone Wiwi Taiaroa
birth_date
birth_place	Otakou, New Zealand
death_place	Otago Harbour, New Zealand
death_date
position	Halfback
height	1.78 m
weight	82 kg
repteam1
repcaps1	0
reppoints1	0
repyears1	1884
province1	Otago
province2	Hawke's Bay
provinceyears1	1881–84
provinceyears2	1887–89
occupation	Lawyer
relatives	Hōri Kerei Taiaroa (father)
Tini Kerei Taiaroa (mother)
Te Matenga Taiaroa (grandfather)
Dick Taiaroa (brother)
Thomas Ellison (cousin)
school	Otago Boys' High School
module	{{Infobox cricketer
image	Cricket_no_pic.png
club1	Hawke's Bay
year1	1891/92–1898/99
type1	First-class
debutdate1	9 January
debutyear1	1892
debutagainst1	Taranaki
lastdate1	26 December
lastyear1	1898
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
::

| name = Jack Taiaroa | image = John Taiaroa.jpg | caption = | birth_name = John Grey Taiaroa Teone Wiwi Taiaroa | birth_date = | birth_place = Otakou, New Zealand | death_place = Otago Harbour, New Zealand | death_date = | position = Halfback | height = 1.78 m | weight = 82 kg | repteam1 = | 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) Tini Kerei Taiaroa (mother) Te Matenga Taiaroa (grandfather) Dick Taiaroa (brother) 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. Taiaroa was the highest try scorer of the tour.

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.

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.

He spent most of his working life as a lawyer in Hastings. He was accidentally drowned in Otago Harbour on 31 December 1907 and his body was recovered at Karitane beach two weeks later.

References

Sources

References

1. [http://maorisportsawards.co.nz/portfolio/teone-wiwi-jack-taiaroa/ Teone Wiwi ‘Jack’ Taiaroa]. maorisportsawards.co.nz
2. Sean Fagan. (2010). "The Famous Maori Footballer, Jack Taiaroa". JottingsOnRugby.com.
3. Knight, Lindsay. "John Taiaroa". New Zealand Rugby Museum.
4. (2011). "John Taiaroa | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials". ESPNcricinfo.
5. (19 March 1894). "Cricket". Hawke's Bay Herald.
6. (2011). "Papers Past – Star – 5 May 1887 – MAGISTRATE'S COURT.". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
7. (2011). "Papers Past – Daily Telegraph – 14 May 1887 – THE CHARGE AGAINST YOUNG TAIAROA DISMISSED.". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
8. (17 January 1908). "The death of Taiaroa". Bay of Plenty Times.
9. (16 January 1908). "Recovery of Taiaroa's body". Wanganui Chronicle.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::