The East Coast All Black of 1981
Andy Jefferd came from the one of the smallest rugby provinces to be thrust into the cauldron of the 1981 Springboks tour. Richard Knowler reports.
Almost 40 years have passed since the East Coast’s second and most recent All Black, Andy Jefferd, stashed away his rugby kit for good.
His career wasn’t as distinguished as the legendary George Nepia, the first All Black to be picked from the province on the North Island’s eastern flank, but Jefferd’s story epitomises why sport can be both magnificent and cruel.
Despite overcoming massive odds to be plucked out of one of the smallest, and least successful, provinces in New Zealand, Jefferd’s rugby career was suddenly cut short by a serious back injury after the first test against the Springboks in Christchurch in 1981.
Having earned his first-class rugby stripes with Canterbury, where he studied and worked between 1974 and 1978, Jefferd was back on the family farm in Tokomaru Bay – about 80 minutes drive north of Gisborne – when first asked to join the All Blacks as a replacement midfielder for their short tour of Fiji in 1980.
‘‘It was beyond my wildest dreams, really,’’ Jefferd says. ‘‘I suppose I had an outside chance but because I was playing for the East Coast, I didn’t think it would happen.’’
Sadly, 13 months after his All Blacks debut, and in the middle of one of the most drama-laden sporting episodes in New Zealand’s history, he was forced to retire from all levels of the game. After just five appearances for his country, Jefferd disappeared from public view.
‘‘I had a slipped disc in my back. It was farming related. I was in hospital for six weeks after that Springboks game. It was a privilege (to play) but I just wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, which bloody annoyed me.
‘‘It was lucky I didn’t cost New Zealand the game. I couldn’t tackle properly.’’
Even in the amateur days it was difficult to be selected for the All Blacks if you came from a remote province like the East Coast.
Nowadays, it’s virtually impossible. A young player’s best hope of being noticed by the All Blacks’ selectors is to crack a Super Rugby team, which means the Heartland provinces are drained of talent from the get-go.
He knew his decision to leave Canterbury for the East Coast would compromise his chances of playing for the All Blacks, but was keen to return to the family farm when his father became ill.
Jefferd, whose deeds with Canterbury ensured he was later invited to the national trials in 1979 and 1980, was training with his East Coast team-mates on a Sunday morning when told the All Blacks urgently needed him in Fiji.
He played twice but had to wait until the following year to earn his first international caps, both against Scotland, in New Zealand.
Beating the Springboks at Lancaster Park in Christchurch two months later should have been the pinnacle of his career, but it was laced with controversy and pain.
Coming from a country that was governed by a racist regime ensured the Springboks were guaranteed a hot reception — their presence in New Zealand split work places, communities and families and resulted in the police clashing with anti-tour protesters.
With the benefit of hindsight, wisdom and age, Jefferd’s unsure he would make the same decision again. But for a 28-year-old farmer from the East Coast, the chance to represent his country against the Springboks was too good to decline.
‘‘Obviously we all knew that apartheid was very bad, and I thought ‘should I be playing against them?’.
‘‘But, I will be honest, it was the ultimate dream to play for the All Blacks against South Africa. But if I had to make the same decision today, I am not sure which way I would go.
‘‘We knew that there were people on the other side that were protesting against the tour, and everyone has a right to do that. That is fine, and good on them. It divided families didn’t it?’’
Barbed wire, police in riot gear, protesters, rugby supporters and a Springboks team eager to draw first blood greeted Jefferd when he arrived at Lancaster Park.
‘‘The buzz around the ground, with the barbed wire, the blue squad and the red squad and the protesters and the supporters . . .
‘‘There was huge tension. It was a bit of a whirlwind really. The air was absolutely electric three or four days before the game.
‘‘I will never forget the roar as we ran out the tunnel on to Lancaster Park. It was like a great big jet plane taking off.’’
The All Blacks won 14-9, but Jefferd knew his time was up.
He told All Blacks coach Peter Burke his aching back was affecting his form. Lachie Cameron replaced him for the second test in Wellington, while Jefferd sat in the stands as a reserve. The Springboks won 24-12.
He was dropped for the third and deciding test, which the All Blacks clinched 25-22 in Auckland.
Jefferd never played rugby again. ‘‘It took over 12 months for my back to come right. I look back, sometimes, and think it would have been great to have a few more games for the All Blacks
but I also think how lucky I was to get five games for them, because of the number of people who I played with who were as good, if not better than me, and never got the opportunity.’’
Jefferd, now semi-retired and living at Wainui Beach near Gisborne, says NZ Rugby must look after small provinces such as East
Coast when its much-debated financial future becomes clear. The same for clubs.
‘‘Whatever deal comes through, NZ Rugby must look after the grassroots,’’ Jefferd says.
‘‘It’s in the blood of a lot of New Zealanders, it’s the traditional game.’’