Feilding’s own adorns cover of world’s longest-running almanack

At one stage, it seemed Aaron Smith was destined never to adorn the front cover of the New Zealand Rugby Almanack. Black Ferns women had shunted the men aside in the previous two editions but in the latest compendium, pictured, there he is at last, Feilding Yellows proud, and we might assume the authors considered him their player of the year.

Whoever picks the NZ Rugby Awards went, of course, for the nuclear-powered loose forward Ardie Savea, as everyone would have.

But Ardie had already been the cover boy in 2020, so for services rendered this time it had to be the Manawatū halfback. No-one would begrudge him that, nor for ferrying himself to Japan to top up his pension with the Toyota Verblitz.

When Dave Rennie first selected Smith for the Manawatū Turbos in 2008, few were perceptive enough to pick him as a Super Rugby player, let alone an All Black. The Hurricanes in his own region didn’t twig either. He ended up playing 175 games for the Highlanders, who then, and still do, pick up whoever is left that the other franchises don’t want.

Now he is Manawatū’s most capped international player, with 125, and all of them were tests.

Gary Knight had 10 seasons as an All Black prop and yet he played only 66 games – just 36 tests. Mind you, it was a different game back then, when the All Blacks went on tours before money turned the game on its head.

The almanack shows Smith ranks seventh on the list of leading All Blacks appearances in all matches. The list is headed by Feilding High School expatriate Sam Whitelock, who vaulted past Richie McCaw to take the top spot last season with 153. Japanese clubs don’t usually approve of their contractees playing in New Zealand between seasons. Take former All Black Jackson Hemopo, not seen by Manawatū since 2019.

Smith has racked up a mere 47 games for Manawatū and he’d love to make it 50. His most recent were two games for Peter Russell’s team in the Covid year, 2021, when he opted out of the Rugby Championship for paternal reasons. He was on track for his 50 before being recalled to domestic duty in Dunedin.

Meanwhile, the almanack’s selection of most promising players has me befuddled.

Hands up who can recognise these names – Waikato’s

Austin Anderson, Canterbury’s Tahlor Cahill and Blair Murray, Joshua Gray of Counties-Manukau and an Otago prop, Rohan Wingham.

This section is restricted to players in their first season of rep rugby, which ruled out 2023’s NZ Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year, Harry Godfrey.

I had spotted Cahill playing lock for the New Zealand under-20s, but none of the others even got in that team.

As for Super Rugby, the almanack noted ‘’crowds were an issue but TV viewership remained sound’’ and broke with tradition by going with Ian Foster’s test team for its New Zealand XV and not naming a bolter.

Those with a negative disposition might have subbed off Sam Cane for Dalton Papali’i.

The authors generously said Foster left with a “decent if inconsistent legacy to look back on”.

As for the NPC with its financial issues and dwindling crowds, it said: “The NPC is vital to the game and must be continued.”

Meanwhile, Manawatu’s Clive Akers – after 30 tireless years as one of the almanack co-authors – has called time, although he will retain the unforgiving job of summarising the Turbos’ seasons. Journalist Lindsay Knight has devoted a one-page salute to the Ōpiki man.

Akers’ departure will leave the almanack in the hands of Auckland’s Campbell Burnes, editor of Rugby News magazine, Adrian Hill from Hawke’s Bay and now Auckland historian Paul Neazor.

Without being morbid, it’s always hard to go past the obituaries pages. Among those buried in there is Timothy William Wallis, who was Sir Tim of aviation and deer industry fame. It turns out he played five games for the West Coast in 1958.

Another is Feilding’s Cliff Simpson, who played for Manawatū in 1955-56 and died at the great age of 95. More importantly, he was sixth in the 880 yards final at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland.

I also spotted 16-times New Zealand golf champion Ross Murray, who played for Otago at rugby and cricket in the 1950s.

Fingers crossed the almanack – the world’s longest surviving rugby record after 88 years – will endure. It is a great tome, having bloated to a record 526 pages, and is worth more than the $55 pricetag for those who devour rugger statistics.

Auckland’s Upstart Press, and particularly Warren Adler, have done a miraculous job in keeping the book going, preserving New Zealand rugby history. One day, the onus might come on NZ Rugby to ensure the almanack reaches 100.