Born: September 2, 1929 – Auckland
Died: May 26, 2014 – Auckland
Test record: 29 Tests (1949-56) – 5 tries (15 points)
Tours: 1951-52 tour of Britain and France, 1952 tour of Australia, 1955-56 tour of Britain and France, 1956 tour of Australia

A veteran of 29 Tests (10 as captain) among 94 appearances for the Kiwis from 1949-56, there’s no higher praise that can bestowed upon Auckland centre Tommy Baxter than his induction as one of the inaugural 13 NZRL Legends of League in 1995 and his selection in the New Zealand Team of the Century in 2007.

A brilliant attacking centre boasting speed and footwork, as well as being a tremendous defensive player, Baxter had just turned 20 when he was chosen in the New Zealand line-up in the home series opener against Australia in 1949.

Baxter scored a try on debut in a 26-21 victory and was essentially an automatic selection for the Kiwis thereafter. The Richmond star featured in both Tests of the drawn series against Great Britain in 1950 and scored a try in the 16-15 one-off defeat of the vaunted French tourists in 1951.

The tyro’s 31 appearances on the Kiwis’ 1951-52 tour of Britain and France included all five Test matches, while he scored a hat-trick against Huddersfield among 11 tries.

Baxter was instrumental to the Kiwis’ historic Test series win in Australia in 1952 – scoring tries in the first two Tests – and the 2-1 home series triumph over the green-and-golds in 1953. He was a mainstay in the 1954 home series against Great Britain, a 2-1 defeat, but after lining up in all but one of New Zealand’s previous 19 Tests he was unavailable for that year’s World Cup.

By now a stalwart of international football, Baxter assumed the Test captaincy for the drawn two-Test series against France at home in 1955. He also led Auckland to a 17-15 win over the tourists. The 26-year-old led the Kiwis to Britain and France later that year, including in all six Tests (New Zealand lost both series 2-1), and scored his last Test try in a 31-22 win over France at Lyon. He again displayed his durability by playing in 32 of the Kiwis’ 37 fixtures.

Baxter’s international swansong came as captain of New Zealand’s 1956 tour of Australia. The Kiwis lost both Tests but Baxter guided them to wins over NSW and Queensland among eight appearances.

The champion three-quarter shocked the game by announcing his retirement prior to the 1957 season, but he continued to make an impact locally – as Mount Albert coach in 1958, and as Western Districts’ (an amalgamation of Mount Albert and Point Chevalier) player-coach in its Fox Memorial Trophy success in 1959.

After the ARL’s controversial district scheme was repealed in 1964, Baxter became the newly established Howick Hornets’ inaugural coach.

Inducted in 1996, Baxter remained one of just eight athletes in the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame primarily for rugby league more than 25 years later.