Roy Alfred Roper (11 August 1923 – 14 September 2023) was a New Zealand

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player. A three-quarter, Roper represented

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, from 1949 to 1950. He played five matches for the All Blacks, all of them internationals. He later served as treasurer of the Taranaki Rugby Football Union from 1952 to 1971. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Roper served overseas with the Royal New Zealand Navy and appeared in six matches for the New Zealand Services XV in England. With the death of

Ron Elvidge Ronald Rutherford Elvidge (2 March 1923 – 30 March 2019) was a New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and centre, Elvidge represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Black ...

in 2019, Roper became the oldest living All Black. He celebrated his 100th birthday on 11 August 2023, becoming the first former All Black to reach that milestone. Roper died a month later, on 14 September.

References

1923 births 2023 deaths Rugby union players from Manawatū-Whanganui People educated at New Plymouth Boys' High School Royal New Zealand Navy personnel of World War II New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players Taranaki rugby union players Rugby union wings New Zealand sports executives and administrators Rugby union centres New Zealand centenarians Men centenarians {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1920s-stub