View source for Tony Steel

{{short description|NZ international rugby union player}}
{{Other uses|Anthony Steel (disambiguation)}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name            = Tony Steel
| image           = 
| caption         = 
| constituency_MP = [[Hamilton East (New Zealand electorate)|Hamilton East]]
| parliament      =  New Zealand
| term_start      = [[1990 New Zealand general election|27 October 1990]]
| term_end        = [[1993 New Zealand general election|8 November 1993]]
| predecessor     = [[Bill Dillon (politician)|Bill Dillon]]
| successor       = [[Dianne Yates]]
| term_start2     = [[1996 New Zealand general election|12 October 1996]]
| term_end2       = [[2002 New Zealand general election|27 July 2002]]
| predecessor2    = [[Dianne Yates]]
| successor2      = Dianne Yates
| order3          = 5th [[Hamilton Boys' High School|Headmaster of Hamilton Boys' High School]]
| term_start3     = 1980
| term_end3       = 1989
| predecessor3    = Richard Taylor
| successor3      = James Bennett
| birth_name      = Anthony Gordon Steel
| birth_date      = {{Birth date|1941|7|31|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Greymouth]], New Zealand
| death_date      = {{Death date and age|2018|5|4|1941|7|31|df=y}}
| death_place     = [[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]], New Zealand
| education       = [[Christchurch Boys' High School]]
| alma_mater      =
| relatives       = [[Jack Steel]] (uncle)<ref name="Stuff obituary"/>
| spouse          =
| children        =
| occupation      = Schoolteacher
| party           = [[New Zealand National Party|National]]
| profession      = 
| cabinet         = 
| committees      = 
| portfolio       = 
| signature       = 
| module = {{Infobox sportsperson | embed = yes
| sport            = [[Track and field]]
| event            = [[Sprint (running)|Sprints]]
| club             = 
| coach            = 
| retired          = 
| nationals        = 100 yd champion (1965, 1966)<br>220 yd champion (1965, 1966)
| pb               = 
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox rugby biography
| embed       = yes
| height      = {{height|m=1.80}}
| weight      = 82 kg
| ru_position = [[Wing (rugby union)|Wing]]
| repyears1   = 1966–1968
| repteam1    = [[New Zealand national rugby union team|New Zealand]]
| repcaps1    = 23
| reppoints1  = 60
}}
}}

'''Anthony Gordon Steel''' (31 July 1941 – 4 May 2018) was a New Zealand [[rugby union]] player, politician and educator.

==Early years==
He was born in [[Greymouth]], and played rugby first for his school, [[Christchurch Boys' High School]], and then for [[Canterbury rugby union team|Canterbury]] before finally playing for the [[All Blacks]] between 1966 and 1968. He was a part of the All Blacks [[1967 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, France and Canada]].

After retiring from sport due to injury, he took up [[teacher|teaching]], first at the [[Brisbane Grammar School]] and then back in New Zealand. He eventually became [[headmaster]] of [[Hamilton Boys' High School]].

==Member of Parliament==
{{NZ parlbox header|nolist=true}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=43rd|start={{NZ election link year|1990}}|end=1993|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=[[Hamilton East (New Zealand electorate)|Hamilton East]]}}
{{NZ parlbox break}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=45th|start={{NZ election link year|1996}}|end=1999|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=Hamilton East|list=44}}
{{NZ parlbox|term=46th|start={{NZ election link year|1999}}|end=2002|party=New Zealand National Party|electorate=Hamilton East|list=none}}
{{End}}
In the [[1990 New Zealand general election|1990 election]], he stood for Parliament as a candidate for the [[New Zealand National Party|National Party]], defeating [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]]'s [[Bill Dillon (politician)|Bill Dillon]] in the [[Hamilton East (New Zealand electorate)|Hamilton East]] electorate. In the [[1993 New Zealand general election|1993 election]], however, he was defeated by Labour's [[Dianne Yates]]. He regained the seat in the [[1996 New Zealand general election|1996 election]], and retained it in the [[1999 New Zealand general election|1999 election]], but in the [[2002 New Zealand general election|2002 election]], he was defeated again by Dianne Yates. Having opted not to seek a position on National's [[Party lists in the 2002 New Zealand general election#National Party|party list]], Steel left Parliament. Testament to Steel's popularity in the city of Hamilton is the fact that he lost what has traditionally been regarded as a [[bellwether]] seat by a mere 600 votes, in an election where the National Party was almost destroyed by its lowest polling result in recent history.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

==Death==
Steel died in Hamilton on 4 May 2018.<ref name="Stuff obituary">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/103650557/former-all-black-tony-steel-made-the-most-of-his-life-a-role-model|title=Former All Black Tony Steel made the most of his life a role model|work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=4 May 2018 |access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12045302|title=Former All Black and National MP Tony Steel dies aged 76|date=4 May 2018|work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref>

==Legacy==
In 2000, an extra [[House system|house]] was added at [[Hamilton Boys' High School]], named Steel house, after Tony Steel. Apart from Argyle House (the boarding house), all of the other houses are also named after former Headmasters.
Tony Steel also won the New Zealand 100/200metres Sprint double at the 1965-66 New Zealand Track and Field Championships representing Canterbury as well as being a member of the winning Canterbury 4x100 metres Team that took Gold

== See also ==
*[[High School Old Boys RFC]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{All Blacks|new_id=Tony-Steel-AB-664|old_id=833}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|nz}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Bill Dillon (politician)|Bill Dillon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Hamilton East (New Zealand electorate)|Member of Parliament for Hamilton East]]|years=1990–1993<br>1996–2002|rows=2}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Dianne Yates]]|rows=2}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Dianne Yates]]}}
{{end}}

{{Footer New Zealand NC 100 m men}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 200 m men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steel, Tony}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand politicians]]
[[Category:Canterbury rugby union players]]
[[Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives]]
[[Category:New Zealand international rugby union players]]
[[Category:New Zealand men sprinters]]
[[Category:New Zealand MPs for North Island electorates]]
[[Category:New Zealand National Party MPs]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby union players]]
[[Category:New Zealand schoolteachers]]
[[Category:New Zealand sportsperson-politicians]]
[[Category:People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Greymouth]]
[[Category:Rugby union wings]]
[[Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1993 New Zealand general election]]
[[Category:Heads of schools in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen]]