John Stewart McBeth

Date of Birth

14 June 1949

Birthplace

Kurow

Career

John McBeth MNZM is very proud of his South Canterbury background.

Both his parents were from Fairlie and John grew up in Timaru where his family owned a grocery store near rugby headquarters, Fraser Park. One of his early sporting highlights was watching South Canterbury defeat France on this ground as a schoolboy in 1961.

John claims “the next best thing to playing international sport is to be employed to talk about it”, which is exactly what he did for 50 years, both on radio and television.

His broadcasting career began at Radio 3ZC, Timaru, after he had completed his schooling at St. Patrick’s High School. Initially he was a music programmer and gained a part-time sports reporting role, but he soon moved into sports broadcasting on a full-time basis when he transferred to Dunedin.

A subsequent move to Wellington resulted in John becoming New Zealand’s leading radio rugby commentator, a position he later filled on national television. One of his first major assignments was the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.

However, his commentary career was not restricted to rugby.  His resume also features four America’s Cup yachting events, including the historic victory in San Diego in 1995.

High points from his eight Olympic Games include describing the remarkable twin gold medals of another Timaru product, Danyon Loader, in 1996 and Lisa Carrington’s record-breaking gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

When asked to name his most memorable sporting event, John always mentions the wonderful 1974 Ranfurly Shield rugby victory by South Canterbury at which he was an enthusiastic spectator.

John’s willingness to support events in South Canterbury and the space he gives to this region in his book “It’s Over!”  reinforces the fact he is a true Timaruvian.

Last updated: 06 Nov 2024