Former Bradford rugby union player Colin Heighton, who went on to captain Yorkshire and represent the North-Eastern Counties against the All Blacks, has died aged 79.

An old boy of Bradford Grammar School (Heighton was there from 1943-51), fellow pupil and clubmate Mike Dixon describes him as “the hardest player I ever knew”.

Dixon recalls the match against the All Blacks at Harrogate Showground in January 1964, which the tourists won 17-11, saying: “In those days you could hold on to the ball when you were on the ground.

“Legendary All Black Colin Meads danced up and down on Colin’s back but he didn’t part with the ball.

“Colin (Heighton) came to training at Bradford on the Tuesday night and had had seven or eight stitches in a cut above his left eye.

“I said ‘you look a bit rough’ and Colin replied ‘that’s nothing’ and he lifted up his shirt and his back was black and blue from where Meads had stood on him.

“It was like Brian Close’s chest after facing the West Indian pace bowlers – and then some.

“Colin never seemed to feel pain. He was the hardest player I ever knew.”

Keith Wilkinson, another colleague from Bradford Rugby Club, said: “It used to annoy Colin that several England players were representing Yorkshire and just used to go through the motions because all they were interested in was the next England game.

“One night Colin had had a few drinks and really told the selectors what he thought of them for selecting these England players who were just coasting through Yorkshire’s matches – and they made Colin captain! He got them (the England players) playing for him.”

Blind-side flanker Heighton, who played 131 times for Bradford and 41 times for Yorkshire, first excelled at Bradford Grammar School and represented Yorkshire Schools under-18s.

He took an arts degree at Sheffield University and did his national service with the Signals, working for the Army School of Linguists as he could speak Russian.

Heighton graduated and took an apprenticeship with English Steel and married Pam, a teacher, who he met at Sheffield University.

They had two sons, Michael and David, and – in a move that shocked his mother – was going to quit his well-paid job with United Steel at Stocksbridge, near Sheffield.

The lure was the freedom of the Scottish Highlands, where the intention was to find an abandoned croft or cottage and take up market gardening and start up tourism.

However, the Heightons finished up near St David’s in Pembrokeshire, which is where Colin died.