Days when tiny unions roared gone
Once upon a time an All Black could emerge from a Heartland union. Yes, those were the days. Richard Knowler reports
Imagine if the All Blacks selectors announced they were going to get radical and select promising players out of the Heartland provincial union competition. What a story it would make. Take a young fellow, who maybe earns his bread by toiling over a chainsaw in the bush or in a factory in small town New Zealand, and give him a chance to train and play alongside professionals who are paid in the hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Could it happen? Not a chance. There’s no going back. Not now. It wasn’t always like this, though. When the game was off-limits to the play-for-pay brigade, and the NZ Rugby Football Union (now NZ Rugby) expected provincial unions to adhere to the gospel according to the International Rugby Board, this was a sport for amateurs only.
In some respects it was not a bad thing. Powerhouse unions still existed but the smaller provinces were loaded with enough talent to put up their dukes against the big boys and, on rare occasions, win.
Which, in turn, led to players from tiny unions being selected in the All Blacks.
Does that happen now? No. If a player has talent, and ambition, he must gravitate towards a bigger provincial union that can act as a shop window.
The chances of a young man being plucked out of a Heartland union by the All Blacks selectors could only happen if the pros went on strike.
But the days when the little provinces produced an All Black, shouldn’t be forgotten. They never should be, either, because they played a vital part in shaping the All Blacks into the powerful brand they are today.
BULLER
Six All Blacks were picked from the tiny province on the upper west coast of the South Island when rugged, tough men worked the land at the start of the 20th century.
The most famous player, arguably, was Kenneth Sydney Svenson – otherwise known as ‘‘Snowy’’ – who toured with the All Blacks on their 1924-25 tour of the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada.
Thomas Fisher, CharlesMcLean, Bob Tunnicliff, Edward Holder and BillMumm also played for clubs in Buller. McLean served in WorldWar I at Gallipoli and won the Military Medal.
EAST COAST
The late George Nepia and Andy Jefferd were true East Coastmen.
Nepia, one of the greats of the game, was a remarkable athlete. He played all 30 games on the 1924-25 tour of Australia, Great Britain, France and Canada. The last of his nine tests was against the British and Irish Lions in Wellington in 1930.
Although Jefferd represented Canterbury earlier in his career, he wasn’t picked for the All Blacks until
he was back in his home province on the eastern coast of the North Island.
Jefferdmade five appearances for the All Blacks in 1980 and 1981.
HOROWHENUA-KAPITI
When ‘‘Harry’’ Jacob was selected for the All Blacks in 1920 he was registered with Horowhenua. He played 8 games in Australia.
Although Joe Karamplayed for the province in 1971, he was back in Wellington when selected for the national team’s northern tour in 1972-73. However, Karam was registered with the Paraparamu club when he played his final season for the All Blacks.
The union changed its name to Horowhenua-Kapiti in 1997. The province also produced several players who transferred to bigger provinces to get noticed.
Think Dane Coles (Wellington), Codie Taylor (Canterbury), Christian Cullen, Mark Shaw and Gary Knight (who all moved up the road to Manawatu).
Carlos Spencer went to Auckland after impressing as a schoolboy in a shield challenge against Auckland in Levin in 1993. A couple of years later he was an All Black.
KING COUNTRY
This conversation starts with the late Sir Colin ‘Pinetree’Meads.
One of New Zealand’s all-time greats, Sir Colin represented the All Blacks 133 times between 1957 and 1971 and was admired around the world.
Yes, he was a toughman on the field but that was the way it was in those days. A true king of the game.
Sir Colin’s brother Stan, Kevin Boroevich, Ron Bryers, Jack McLean, Bill Phillips, Graham Whiting all made the All Blacks’ debuts on the back of their efforts with King Country.
MARLBOROUGH and NELSON BAYS
The formation of Tasman in 2006 followed the amalgamation of
Marlborough and Nelson Bays.
At the time it wasn’t a popular decision among rugby folk from either side of the border, but the team appears to have (hopefully) healed old wounds. And Tasman’s wonderful success has also (hopefully) aided that process.
Six players from Marlborough represented the All Blacks. Alan Sutherland, who died last year, was arguably the most famous member of this band of brothers.
Trevor Morris was Nelson Bays’ sole All Black. The fullback was selected at the age of 30 for the 1972 internal tour of New Zealand.
Morris made 23 appearances (3 tests) in 1972 and 1973. Had it not been for injuries on the northern 1972-73 tour, hemay have played more tests.
MID CANTERBURY
The late SirWilson Whineray once played for Mid Canterbury but it would be more thanmischievous to claim he was a home-grown product.
Auckland-born Whineray played for 6 provincial unions, and was doing his thing with Canterbury – after his stint with Mid Canterbury – when he was first picked for the All Blacks.
The same can’t be said for Jock Ross. A 2.03m lock, Ross hailed from the region and was picked for the All Blacks in 1981.
Midfielder Dennis Cameron and hooker Grant Perry also wore the national colours.
Cameron was picked for the 1960 tour of Australia and South Africa, making 6 appearances.
Perry was invited to join the All Blacks in Fiji as a replacement and was unfortunately injured in his one and only game, against Nadroga.
NORTH OTAGO
Phil Gard played seven games for the All Blacks. The Kurow club man’s only test appearance was against
the British and Irish Lions in 1971.
Although Ian ‘Spooky’ Smith was registered with North Otago when he played for All Blacks against the touring Springboks in 1965, the wing’s initial selection for the national side came while he was with Otago.
Ian Hurst was a faithful servant for North Otago, but was playing for Canterbury when picked for the All Blacks’ 1972-73 tour of Britain and Ireland.
POVERTY BAY
The names Ian Kirkpatrick and Poverty Bay go together like porridge and milk.
However, it was while on duty for Canterbury that ‘‘Kirky’’, regarded as one of New Zealand’s greatest flankers, burst into national prominence.
The former captain played 113 games between 1967 and 1977. After three seasons in Canterbury, he returned to Poverty Bay in 1970.
It was a different situation for Richard ‘Tiny’ White, Michael Parkinson and John Collins. All were playing for Poverty Bay when blooded by the All Blacks.
Lawrie Knight and Brian Fitzpatrick were also All Blacks but, like Kirkpatrick, got noticed by the national selectors while representing another union.
SOUTH CANTERBURY
The history books state more than 20 All Blacks have played for the green-and-blacks, but not all originated from the region or got their first break while representing the province.
Charlie Saxton played just 7 games (three tests) for the All Blacks in 1938, but the halfback was arguably one of South Canterbury’s most famous identities.
Saxton had earlier worn Otago’s colours, but he got his big break after moving north. He later captained the 2nd NZEF team following WorldWar II, served on the NZRFU council and managed the 1967 All Blacks to Europe.
Tom Lister and Tom Coughlan deserve honourable mentions.
THAMES VALLEY
Bob O’Dea and Kevin Barry were the only players to represent the All Blacks while playing for Thames Valley – now known as the Swamp Foxes.
O’Dea toured Europe with the All Blacks in 1953-54 and Barry was called up for a northern tour a decade later.
WAIRARAPA BUSH
This story starts with the amalgamation ofWairarapa and Bush in the early 1970s, and the late Sir Brian Lochore dominates the narrative.
There’s not enough space here to do Sir Brian’s contribution to the sport justice. He played 68 matches between 1963-71 (and was also captain during that period), and later coached the All Blacks to win the inaugural World Cup in 1987. He was also a national selector and was knighted in 1999.
Wairarapa Bush has also contributed to several All Blacks.
Robbie McLean, Brent Harvey and Marty Berry made brief contributions. The latter was on the field for about one minute when he made his test debut in the loss to the Wallabies in the third test in 1986, before being recalled for the 1993 tour of Britain.
WANGANUI
Records state 17men who had been affiliated withWanganui went on to represent their country.
Midfielder Bill Osborne was arguably the most favourite son, playing 48 games, including 16 tests between 1975 and 1982.
Halfback Andy Donald was rewarded with seven test caps, he played a total of 20 games, between 1981 and 1984.
WEST COAST
There’s no shortage of colourful rugby stories on the West Coast.
Lock Ron King captained the All Blacks in all 3 tests against the 1937 Springboks. King played 25 of 30 matches on the 1935-36 tour of Britain. King played 13 consecutive tests, a sequence ended byWorld War II.
Fellow Coaster Mike Gilbert joined King on the tour of Britain, having earlier played for Buller.
Two of the Coast’s eight All Blacks, Henry Butland and John Corbett, represented their country before appearing for the Coast.
Butland played for the All Blacks in the 1890s, and Corbett made 13 appearances on tour with the ‘‘Originals’’ in 1905.
Samuel Blight, who changed his name from Bligh (and there are reports he also played as Blyth) because he didn’t want his teetotal family to know he was playing rugby, made five appearances for the All Blacks in 1910.
He also represented Buller and later switched to rugby league for the Blackball club.
Frank Freitas, a loose forward, was picked for a second-string All Blacks team that played a touring North SouthWales team in 1928 – while the top All Blacks team was on a tour of South Africa.
The stay-at-home All Blacks also played aWest Coast-Buller team in Greymouth. Freitas died when the interisland ferryWahine sank during the storm that struck Wellington in 1968.