King downs tools for Crusaders
Chris King doesn’t reach for the golf clubs, surfboard or keys to his flash motor when released from his rugby duties.
Instead the 36 year old returns to his job in the ‘‘real world’’, clocking-up the hours to complete his ticket as a carpenter. When King and wife Emma decided to settle with daughters Chloe and Alexis back in Christchurch after three rugby seasons in France, the next phase in their lives was not supposed to involve professional sport.
Then Crusaders forwards coach Jason Ryan issued an SOS.
All Blacks loosehead props Joe Moody and Tim Perry were injured, and the Super Rugby champions needed an experienced old head to provide back-up to Wyatt Crockett. ‘‘I could have carried on, but wanted to get on with the next chapter of my life,’’ King said in regards to his decision to retire following his stint in France.
‘‘And then Jase (Jason Ryan) gave me a call. I was just down the road. Why not help the local team out?’’
So King downed tools and trucked along to Crusaders HQ at Rugby Park. Sixteen years had passed since his first-class debut for Canterbury in 2002.
He also played two seasons for the Crusaders – in 2003-04 – before joining the Highlanders for a decade, where he clocked up more than a century of caps for the southerners.
In France King played a season for Montpellier, and another two at Pau. Since returning to New Zealand, he could see little need to go for regular gallops around the streets.
‘‘Up until two weeks ago I had done bugger-all for six months. It has just been physical, manual labour. I have just gone for the odd run here and there.’’
With some trepidation he suited-up for the final trial game against the Highlanders in Southland. Everything went well, boosting his confidence for when he was instructed to play the final quarter against the Chiefs last weekend.
Crockett was happy to note that two looseheads have 71 years between them – surely a record for a Super Rugby team. Coach Scott Robertson wasn’t concerned about the dates on the birth certificates, he just wants the job to be done on the park.
Recently Robertson walked through the offices at Rugby Park, and was surprised to see King in his work clobber after a shift on the building site.
‘‘He came in to sign a couple of papers in his building clothes on a Wednesday – I said ‘mate, what are you doing?’ He said he just needed to finish a job,’’ Robertson stated. ‘‘That is real old school, working on his day off. He has got that old school mentality and is still as fit as hell.’’
As he looked around Rugby Park, King said it was hard to believe he had been away from the training ground for over 13 years.
‘‘It is an easy team to get back involved with, and it’s pretty cool for my family to come along and have a look at where it first started about 16 years ago. The kids were pretty excited to go along to the game on Saturday night.’’