‘Croczilla’ roars into monster book launch tour

Growing up, former All Black, Crusader and current Tasman Mako Wyatt Crockett found himself immersed in the biographies of his rugby heroes – Andrew Mehrtens, Todd Blackadder, Mark ‘‘Bull’’ Allen, and former Wallaby and Brumbies mentor Rod McQueen.

Now, just days after terrorising the Japanese with the World XV team, the man known as ‘‘Croczilla’’ is promoting a book of his own, with 10 signing sessions in Nelson, Richmond, Motueka and Christchurch.

Croczilla covers Crockett’s early years in Golden Bay, his formative rugby education at Nelson College and Otago Boys’ High School, through to the highs and lows of a 16-year top-level career that began with the New Zealand under-19s in 2002.

The idea of a book was conceived about a year ago by Crockett and author Scotty ‘‘Sumo’’ Stevenson, compiled over late evening phone calls or between matches during the rugby season.

Crockett said collaborating with someone he knew and trusted made the writing process an easy task.

‘‘I wasn’t sure about doing anything, but speaking to my parents about it, they reckoned it’d be pretty cool to have something to pass down as a record to the next generation.

‘‘Also, it would be kind of nice to try and inspire some younger guys who were perhaps not that talented or amazing athletes but who were really keen and driven to do well.

‘‘Sumo gets us and knows where we come from . . . every year we holiday together in Golden Bay, so I know his family really well, and he’s got to know mine.’’

There are lighter moments, as well as some of the 35-year-old’s challenges on and off the field, notably wife Jenna’s battle with kidney disease.

‘‘We’ve got really low rates of organ donation in New Zealand, and a lot of that is around awareness and understanding of how much of a difference you can make in someone’s life and your own.’’

Crockett will be in-store to launch and sign copies of his book at the following locations today: Whitcoulls Nelson, Trafalgar St 11.30am–11.50am; Whitcoulls Richmond, Richmond Mall, 12.30pm– 12.50pm; The Warehouse Motueka, High St, 1.45pm–2pm.