Born: 23 July, 1937 – Christchurch Test record: 14 Tests (1961-64, 1968) – 1 try (3 points) Tours: 1961-62 tour of Great Britain and France, 1963 tour of Australia, 1968 Kiwis World Cup
Papanui great Jim Bond represented Canterbury for more than a decade and played 14 Tests for New Zealand in the 1960s.
Bond debuted for Canterbury – partnering clubmate Keith Roberts in the halves – against Great Britain and broke into the South Island team in 1958.
The retirement of champion West Coast pivot George Menzies after the 1961 home series against Australia gave Bond his chance in the New Zealand side. Chosen in the Kiwis’ squad to tour Britain and France at the end of the year, the 24-year-old was a try-scorer on debut against Castleford-Featherstone and played all six Tests on tour – the beginning of a run of 12 consecutive Test appearances.
Bond was at the forefront as New Zealand swept the 1962 Great Britain tourists 2-0, scoring a try in the 19-0 first-Test win. He played in all three Tests on the 1963 tour of Australia before his streak ended in the series-opening 24-16 win over the 1964 French tourists. Bond was omitted in favour of fellow Cantabrian John Bray for the remaining matches.
The 30-year-old was recalled after a four-year absence to captain the Kiwis at the 1968 World Cup, leading his country in losses to France (15-10) in Auckland and Australia (31-12) in Brisbane. He remains the last Canterbury-based player to skipper the Kiwis at Test level.
After hanging up the boots, Bond was University’s inaugural coach during their brief tenure as a premier club in the 1970s.
