Eric Tindill, who achieved unique status in world sport by playing both rugby and cricket for New Zealand, then refereeing Test rugby and umpiring Test cricket, has died at age 99.
 
At 99 years, 226 days he was the world’s longest living Test cricketer and New Zealand’s oldest rugby international.
 
Tindill, who died on Sunday, played 16 matches for New Zealand’s All Blacks between 1935 and 1938 but only one rugby Test, against England in 1936. He played five cricket Tests for New Zealand between 1937 and 1947 in a career punctuated by World War II.
 
Although George Dickinson, Curly Page, Charlie Oliver, Jeff Wilson and Brian McKechnie also represented New Zealand in both rugby and cricket, Tindill was the only player to play Tests in both codes.