Former All Black and long-time Poverty Bay rugby representative Mike Parkinson has died while on holiday in Northland.
Parkinson, 60, died in his sleep at a family holiday home at Matauri Bay last Saturday, according to family spokesman Pat Butler.
His tangi will be held in Wairoa onThursday.
Parkinson had been living in Perth for about a year after living in Northland.
Butler said Parkinson had only recently been to the doctor and received a clean bill of health.
A strongly built midfield back, Parkinson played 20 games, including seven tests, for New Zealand in 1972-73 and appeared 51 times for Poverty Bay in a career featuring 90 first-class matches.
Parkinson is survived by his wife Lorraine, a daughter of All Black and Northland great JB Smith, four daughters and a son.
