Obituary: Bill 'Ginger' McLennan

New Zealand rugby league legend Bill "Ginger" McLennan died in Auckland last Saturday at the age of 80.

A West Coast miner, McLennan played 28 tests for the Kiwis from 1951-57 and was inducted into the New Zealand Rugby League's "Legends of League" in 2000. McLennan's total of 84 appearances for New Zealand has been bettered by only Jock Butterfield (99) and Tom Baxter (94).

McLennan was Baxter's vice-captain on the 1955-56 northern tour, chalking up another 28 games from a possible 37. He retired after that trip, but after sitting out the 1956 tour of Australia, he made a curtain call at the 1957 World Cup in Australia.