Baxter, an
Auckland representative, first made the
New Zealand national rugby league team in 1949. During the
1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand, Baxter was selected to play for both
Auckland and
New Zealand at centre. Baxter went on to play in twenty nine tests in the next seven years, scoring six tries. In 1955 he was made captain and led the Kiwis out on ten occasions, including on the
1955–56 tour of Great Britain and France. In 1959 he was Western Districts (a combination of
Mount Albert and
Point Chevalier)
player-coach and led the team to
Auckland Rugby League Fox Memorial Trophy and Rukutai Shield victories as well as winning a national tournament held to celebrate the ARL's fiftieth anniversary and an 8–7 victory over the
New South Wales Rugby League's previously unbeaten champion
St. George Dragons side. In 1964 Baxter was the coach of the new
Howick senior team. ==Awards==