Arthur Stone (rugby union)

Arthur Stone

Birth name	Arthur Massey Stone
Date of birth	(1960-12-19) 19 December 1960
Place of birth	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	82 kg (181 lb)
School	Trident High School Rotorua Boys' High School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Second five-eighth, centre Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1980–85 1986 1987–94 Waikato Bay of Plenty Otago 80 () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1981–86 1982–83 New Zealand New Zealand Māori 9 (7)

Arthur Massey Stone (born 19 December 1960) is a former New Zealand rugby union player.

Rugby career

Ranfurly Shield winning try

Stone, as a nineteen year old, scored the only try in Waikato's Ranfurly Shield challenge against holders Auckland in 1980. In front of a crowd of 47,000, second division Waikato won the shield as a result 7–3. Arthur Stone intercepted an Auckland pass and scored in the left hand corner. Keith Quinn, providing the television commentary said "Has he got the legs? Arthur Stone. He's just having a go…now that is a great try for nineteen year-old Arthur Stone."

Provincial and international

A second five-eighth and centre, Stone represented Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1981 to 1985. He played 23 matches for the All Blacks including nine internationals, scoring five tries and one dropped goal. He also played 27 games for the New Zealand Maori team.

Arthur Stone moved south to Dunedin in 1987 and played for Otago for seven years. He played in the 1991 Otago team that won the first division championship playing in 16 games that season for Otago and scoring six tries. He played club rugby for Pirates and Kaikorai.

Career after rugby

Since retiring from rugby, Stone has run a building and building contracting company in Dunedin.