Rangitane Will Norton (30 March 1942 – 4 August 2023), commonly known as Tane Norton, was a New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player. He played at the hooker position. He played for Linwood before he first represented in 1969. In 1977, he captained the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

to a series win over the British Lions and played three games for the World Invitation XV in South Africa. In the

2006 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2006 in some Commonwealth realms were announced (on 31 December 2005) in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Grenada, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, and Saint Christopher and Nevis to c ...

, Norton was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to rugby. Of Māori descent, Norton affiliated to

Ngāi Tahu Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori people, Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim, New Zealand, Blenhe ...

through his father. In 1973 and 1974, Norton was awarded the

Tom French Cup In rugby union, the Tom French Cup is an honour awarded by New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) to the Tom French Memorial Māori player of the year. The cup has been awarded annually since 1949, when it was donated to the New Zealand Māori coach To ...

for the outstanding Māori rugby union player of the year. Norton died in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

on 4 August 2023, at the age of 81.

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* 1942 births 2023 deaths New Zealand international rugby union players Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand rugby union players Rugby union hookers Māori All Blacks players People from Waikari Rugby union players from the Canterbury Region Canterbury rugby union players Ngāi Tahu people 20th-century New Zealand sportsmen {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1940s-stub

See also

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