Herald on Sunday

LEGACY LIVES ON

Sir Colin Meads’ family’s pride

- By Natalie Akoorie

It gives me comfort and pleasure that Colin is in a sense still helping King Country. Lady Verna Meads

Tributes for the late Sir Colin Meads from his beloved provincial union and club, marking one year tomorrow since he died, are humbling, say his family.

Three rugby jerseys in memory of the All Black great will be on show or auction in Pinetree’s home town of Te Kuiti over coming days as King Country Rugby and Waitete Rugby Football Club honour their favourite son.

“We are extremely proud that his legacy can live on,” youngest daughter Shelley Mitchell told the Herald on Sunday.

“Dad was passionate about King Country Rugby. He loved the union and would do anything for them so the fact that can continue on, even after he’s passed, we’re really proud and I know that he would just be absolutely rapt.”

When King Country kicks off its Heartland Championsh­ip campaign at the Waitete grounds in Te Kuiti next Saturday, the Rams’ No 5 will pull on a jersey inscribed with the words “Rememberin­g Pinetree”.

A second maroon and yellow jersey, signed by Meads, will be auctioned that afternoon to raise money for the union where the legendary lock played 139 games, making his debut against Counties in 1955 as a 19-year-old.

Meads died of pancreatic cancer. A Waitete club jersey signed by up to 20 former All Blacks at his funeral, will also go on display in the clubhouse for the first time.

“It’s humbling,” Mitchell said of the inscriptio­n. “We’re just so proud of our dad and we think it’s lovely of King Country to remember him a year on and honour him in this way.”

It had been a year of readjustme­nt for the family since the 81-year-old died in Te Kuiti Hospital.

His wife, Lady Verna, said she had been comforted by the couple’s five children — Karen, Kelvin, Rhonda, Glynn and Shelley — 14 grandchild­ren and seven great-grandchild­ren.

“It’s been very hard but I’m super lucky I suppose I could say with the family I’ve got.”

She missed her husband of 60 years dearly.

“He was sort of like the life and the soul of everywhere he went and he dragged me along with him most of the time, so it was a pretty interestin­g life.

“I was such a dreadfully shy girl and he was fairly shy but nowhere near as bad as me. Life just happens one day at a time but when you look back on what happened it’s amazing. Almost unbelievab­le really.”

Two weeks after Meads died it was discovered Lady Verna had a broken hip, the pain from which confined her to a wheelchair at his funeral. The then 81-year-old had surgery at Waikato Hospital and is now back on her feet.

Lady Verna planned to attend the opening match of the 2018 Heartland campaign for the Rams against East Coast supported by the family. “I don’t care who wins as long as we do,” she said, a favourite saying of her husband’s. Meads would be “very thrilled” that a jersey he signed will help raise money for King Country players of all ages, she said.

“I know King Country has always struggled financiall­y, and it gives me comfort and pleasure that Colin is in a sense still helping them.”

The No 5 jersey inscriptio­n “Rememberin­g Pinetree” was made possible by sponsor Inframax. The constructi­on company will also match the amount raised at auction for the autographe­d jersey.

King Country Rugby general manager Susan Youngman said there was already strong interest in the auction. Youngman said Meads would be missed in the stands, where he often sat in his King Country blazer, at Saturday’s match.

“I think it will be quite a sombre day really because he did so much. He did so much for me in my role. We’ve lost our icon really.”

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Shelley Mitchell in a jersey signed by her dad, Sir Colin.
Shelley Mitchell in a jersey signed by her dad, Sir Colin.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from New Zealand