Born: September 30, 1930 - Greymouth
Died: March 16, 2016 - Greymouth
Test record: 29 Tests (1951-52, 1954-61) - 4 tries (12 points)
Tours: 1951-52 tour of Britain and France, 1952 tour of Australia, 1954 World Cup, 1955-56 tour of Britain and France, 1957 World Cup, 1959 tour of Australia, 1960 World Cup
One of the inaugural NZRL Legends of League inductees in 1995 and named at five-eighth in the New Zealand Team of the Century in 2007, West Coast's George Menzies ranks among the Kiwi's all-time greats.
A Runanga senior debutant at 17, Menzies was only 18 when he played for West Coast against Australia in 1949. He represented his province against Great Britain in 1950 and France in 1951 before getting a maiden Test call-up against the latter.
It was a chequered start to Menzies' international career, scoring a try in New Zealand's 16-15 win over France in a violent Carlaw Park encounter but was stretchered off after being victim of questionable tackling from the visitors.
Holding his place for the series opener against Great Britain later that year, injury ended his tour after just seven appearances.
Menzies returned to a reshuffled Kiwis backline for the second Test on the 1952 tour of Australia and helped his country to a historic series victory with back-to-back wins. Abdomen surgery ruled him out of the series against Australia at home the following season.
He played just one match at the 1954 World Cup - on the wing against France - and, after playing one Test against France in 1955, again had a tour of Britain and France halted by injury after featuring in the first two Tests in Manchester and Bradford (scoring a try in the latter).
But Menzies played the next 19 Tests in succession, including the second Test against Australia at The Gabba in 1956 as captain in Tommy Baxter's absence.
The deceptive pivot was a mainstay for the 1957 (scoring a try in a win over Great Britain) and 1960 World Cups, home series against Great Britain in 1958 and France in 1960, and on the 1959 tour of Australia.
The 30-year-old's international swansong came on home soil in the drawn two-Test series against Australia in 1961.
A New Zealand selector from 1973-76, Menzies coached the Kiwis against the 1974 Lions and in the 1975 World Championship Series.