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NZ rugby mourns All Black Doug Rollerson

4th May, 2017
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Former All Blacks player Doug Rollerson has died of cancer aged 63.

Rollerson played eight Tests, including all three in the controversial 1981 home series against South Africa, where he locked horns with famed Springboks opposite Naas Botha.

His Test debut came the year before, when he played fullback against Wales in the victorious centenary Test in Cardiff.

Before that, he toured Argentina in 1976, kick-starting an international career comprising 24 games.

A sound all-round pivot, Rollerson was a key figure in Manawatu’s provincial dominance of the 1970s and early 1980s, scoring 515 points in 91 appearances.

His most famous provincial act was landing a late dropped goal against Auckland at Eden Park in 1976 as Manawatu won 12-10 to secure the Ranfurly Shield for the first time.

In 1982, aged 28, he signed to play two seasons of rugby league with North Sydney, where he was a clubmate of Kiwis great Mark Graham.

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