Born: February 22, 1944 - Thames
Died: June 18, 2019 - Wagga Wagga, Australia
Test record: 14 Tests (1965-67, 1969-70) - 0 points
Tours: 1965 tour of Britain and France, 1967 tour of Australia, 1970 World Cup, 1971 tour of Britain and France
Waikato forward Bill Deacon played 14 Tests for New Zealand and was part of two Kiwis squads that toured Britain and France, six years apart.
A back earlier in his career, the Ngaruawahia tyro played on the wing for Waikato against Great Britain in 1962 and at five-eighth against France in 1964.
Deacon gravitated to the back-row, representing Waikato against Australia in the pack and earning selection in the 1965 Kiwis tour of Britain and France. He played all six Test matches among 18 appearances and won the New Zealand Player of the Year award.
The 22-year-old featured in both Tests against Great Britain at home in 1966, but he made only eight minor tour appearances in Australia in 1967 - kept out of the Test line-up by the likes of Ray Sinel, Kevin Dixon, Anthony Kriletich and Bruce Castle.
Deacon missed the 1968 World Cup but was recalled for New Zealand's second Test assignment against Australia in 1969, which it won 18-14 at Carlaw Park. He subsequently lined up in the second-row for all three matches of the Kiwis' series whitewash defeat to the Lions in 1970. He started in the heavy World Cup loss to Australia at the end of the year and came off the bench in the win over France.
Though he did not play another Test match, Deacon featured in 13 games on the Kiwis' 1971 'Grand Slam' tour of Britain and France.
Deacon moved to Australia and remarkably played in the Group 9 competition from 1973-92 (when he was 48), with Wagga Magpies, Junee and Turvey. He also played for the Riverina combination in the midweek AMCO Cup against Parramatta in 1974.