Te Kuiti gears up for Meads moment

Legendary All Black Sir Colin Meads is set to immortalised in bronze.

A statue of the great “Pinetree” will be unveiled in his home town of Te Kuiti tomorrow.

The project, driven by the Legendary Te Kuiti committee, is funded by sponsors, donations and grants.

An exhibition will also be opened celebrating the rugby careers and lives of Sir Colin and his brother Stan, also a former All Black.

Committee marketing officer Yvette Ronaldson said preparations were on track for what would be a “huge day” for the community. “The statue looks amazing, it’s packed and ready to come down to Te Kuiti.”

She said the town expected a large crowd, so it had worked with the Waitomo District Council to make sure the main street looked its best.

Rora St will be closed from 11am to cater for the expected influx.

“It’s definitely a community event and everybody is invited to come along because it’s not just a celebration for Sir Colin and Stan and the Meads family, it’s also a celebration for Te Kuiti and we want as many people there as possible to enjoy the special day,” said Ronaldson.

Among those attending will be rugby commentator Keith Quinn and former All Blacks Sir Brian Lochore, Bryan Williams and Tane Norton.