Born: August 3, 1944
Test record: 6 Tests (1969-70, 1974-75) – 0 points
Tours: 1975 World Championship Series

Stalwart West Coast forward John Hibbs played six Tests for New Zealand across a seven-season period, while he represented his province for more than a decade.

At home in the second-row, or at hooker or prop, Hibbs was just 20 when he played for West Coast against the 1965 Australian tourists. Two years later, he scored both of West Coast’s tries in an 8-all draw with Queensland at Greymouth’s Wingham Park.

Hibbs earned his first Kiwis call-up in the second-row for the 1969 series opener against Australia, a 20-10 loss at Carlaw Park. He was left out of the side for the second Test.

Returning for the first two Tests of the series against the 1970s Lions – partnering Bill Deacon in the second-row – he was replaced by Kevin Dixon for the dead-rubber (though he did play in West Coast’s subsequent clash with Great Britain) and missed the trials for that year’s World Cup.

Hibbs drifted out of contention in subsequent seasons but was named New Zealand Rugby League’s Player of the Year in 1973 – a season where the Kiwis had no fixtures scheduled – which pre-empted his return to the national side.

He replaced Bill Burgoyne at hooker after the first Test of the 1974 home series against Great Britain (contentiously, given the Kiwis had won the match), featuring in the second- and third-Test defeats.

The 30-year-old represented the Kiwis outside New Zealand for the first time in 1975 during the first leg of the World Championship Series, playing tour matches against Central Queensland, Northern Division and NSW Country, before playing prop in the 36-8 tournament loss to Australia at Lang Park.

Hibbs, a long-serving Greymouth Marist player, also played for West Coast against Wales but was not required for the second half of the World Series in Britain and France at the end of the year.