Born: August 5, 1953 – Auckland
Died: October 2, 2003 – St Helens
Test record: 4 Tests (1978, 1983) – 0 points
Tours: 1978 tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea

The first of a rich rugby league bloodline to represent New Zealand, Manukau forward Ian Bell played Tests against Australia and Papua New Guinea in 1978 and again in 1983.

Bell, the uncle of future Kiwis greats Dean Bell and Clayton Friend, broke into the Auckland and New Zealand Māori teams in 1975.

The second-rower was selected for the Kiwis’ 1978 tour of Australia and Papua New Guinea, bouncing back from a knee injury early on to produce two-try performances in wins over Central Queensland and Wide Bay.

He then received a call-up to play prop against Australia in the third Test loss at the SCG, a position he held for the historic one-off clash with Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby.

A mainstay for Auckland and New Zealand Māori, Bell was overlooked for subsequent Kiwis squads – until 1983, when he came off the bench in an iconic 19-12 upset of Australia at Lang Park and played prop in a 60-20 win over Papua New Guinea at Carlaw Park.

Bell also had stints in England with Carlisle – where he played alongside both of his nephews – and Whitehaven during the 1980s. He passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2003 in his adopted home of St Helens.