Colin Meads
Encyclopedia
Sir Colin Earl Meads, KNZM
, MBE
(born 3 June 1936), is a former New Zealand rugby union
footballer. He played 55 test matches (133 total games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 1971.
Meads is widely considered one of the greatest players in history. Nicknamed 'Pinetree', he is an
icon within New Zealand rugby, and was named the country's Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards in 1999.
in the Waikato
region. His father Vere was a descendant of early settlers Joseph Meads and Ann Meads (née Coates), who emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1842. Vere’s grandfather Zachariah Meads was among the first British children to be born in Te Aro
, Wellington, in 1843, and his grandmother Elizabeth Meads (née Lazare) was the daughter of an Irish
minister who had educated freed slaves on the island of Mauritius
before emigrating to Wanganui
.
Vere and his wife raised their three children on a sheep
farm near Te Kuiti
. Meads credits the farming lifestyle for his strong physique and high level of fitness. Meads' brother Stanley Meads
was also a noted rugby player, playing 30 matches as an All Black. In 11 matches Stanley and Colin locked the All Black scrum.
One of Meads' sons, Glynn 'Pinecone' Meads also played rugby for King Country. With his wife Verna Claire Meads (née Lang), Meads has four other children: Karen, Kelvin, Rhonda and Shelley. Colin and Verna raised their family in a Te Kuiti farm house, which they have recently sold, although they still live in Te Kuiti.
In 1955 Meads was selected for the New Zealand under 21 side which toured Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
). He "played all eight matches, scored three tries and was recognised by the Rugby Almanack as one of the 1955 season's most promising players." In 1956 Meads played in national trials and for the North Island
, and in 1957 was selected for the tour of Australia. He played ten matches and made his test debut, playing both of the internationals against the Wallabies
, scoring a try in the second. Although normally a lock, he played at flanker and number 8, and even wing (from where he scored a try), as the All Black team was strong on locks.
From 1957 until 1971 Meads was effectively an automatic All Black selection. The International Rugby Hall of Fame considers him to have been 'the most famous forward in world rugby throughout the 1960s'. His strength and high threshold for pain became legendary — best illustrated when in a game against Eastern Transvaal
in South Africa, in which he emerged from a particularly vicious ruck with his arm dangling horribly, with an obvious fracture, yet completed the match. When the doctor cut away his shirt and confirmed the break, Meads muttered, "At least we won the bloody game."
Meads had the reputation of being "an enforcer" and was involved in some controversial incidents. In 1967, he was sent off by Irish referee Kevin D. Kelleher for dangerous play against at Murrayfield
, and became only the second All Black suspended in a test match. The British Daily Telegraph newspaper said of the incident that 'For one with Meads' worldwide reputation for robust play, this was rather like sending a burglar to prison for a parking offence.' In Australia he is notorious for having ended the career of Ken Catchpole
by pulling Catchpole's leg while he was pinned down, causing him serious injury.
He captained the All Blacks
a number of times - though never a regular captain, he holds the record of longest period of captaincy (not consecutive games), from the first date (1960) he was appointed captain to the last match he captained (1971).
rugby team. In 1986 he was elected to the national selection panel, but was fired later in the year for acting as coach to the unauthorised New Zealand Cavaliers
tour of apartheid South Africa, where the All Blacks were no longer allowed to tour. In 1992 he was elected to the New Zealand Rugby Union council. In 1994 and 1995 he was All Blacks manager. He left the council in 1996.
Although retired from rugby for many years, Meads is still a familiar face to many New Zealanders. He is a frequent public speaker at events, and still appears in a number of television spots, endorsing Honda
ATVs, Bob Charles Deer Velvet, Lifejacket safety awareness, Provincial Finance and Mastercard
. Colin Meads has featured on Mainland Cheese television commercials throughout the later half of 2009 and early 2011.
A Colin Meads fan club meets regularly, wearing No. 5 jerseys, drinking 5oz beers and reading from "Colin Meads All Black" while planning how to mark the great man's birthday on 3 June.
and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
. In 2001 he was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
, the second-highest honour in the New Zealand honours system. In May 2009 he decided to accept the offer to exchange his DCNZM
to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
.
The trophy contested in New Zealand's domestic competition, the Heartland Championship
, is named the Meads Cup in his honour. The All Blacks website states 'As a sporting legend Meads is New Zealand's equivalent of Australia's Sir Donald Bradman
or the United States of America's Babe Ruth.'
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 3 June 1936), is a former New Zealand rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He played 55 test matches (133 total games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 1971.
Meads is widely considered one of the greatest players in history. Nicknamed 'Pinetree', he is an
icon within New Zealand rugby, and was named the country's Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards in 1999.
Early life and family
Colin Earl Meads was born to Vere Meads and Ida Meads (née Gray) on 3 June 1936, in the village of CambridgeCambridge, New Zealand
Cambridge is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated 24 kilometres southeast of Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions".In the 1840s Cambridge had a Maori population but in the 1850's missionaries and...
in the Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
region. His father Vere was a descendant of early settlers Joseph Meads and Ann Meads (née Coates), who emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1842. Vere’s grandfather Zachariah Meads was among the first British children to be born in Te Aro
Te Aro
Te Aro is an inner-city suburb of Wellington, New Zealand, 1 km from the centre. It comprises the southern part of the central business district including the majority of the city's entertainment district and covers the mostly flat area of city between The Terrace and Cambridge Terrace at the base...
, Wellington, in 1843, and his grandmother Elizabeth Meads (née Lazare) was the daughter of an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
minister who had educated freed slaves on the island of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
before emigrating to Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
.
Vere and his wife raised their three children on a sheep
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
farm near Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti
Te Kuiti is a small town in the south of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the junction of State Highways 3 and 30 and on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, 80 km south of Hamilton....
. Meads credits the farming lifestyle for his strong physique and high level of fitness. Meads' brother Stanley Meads
Stanley Meads
Stanley Thomas Meads was a noted rugby union All Black footballer and brother of Colin Meads, considered by some to be one of the greatest rugby footballers of all time. He played as a lock, No 8 and flanker, and scored four tries for New Zealand in 30 games...
was also a noted rugby player, playing 30 matches as an All Black. In 11 matches Stanley and Colin locked the All Black scrum.
One of Meads' sons, Glynn 'Pinecone' Meads also played rugby for King Country. With his wife Verna Claire Meads (née Lang), Meads has four other children: Karen, Kelvin, Rhonda and Shelley. Colin and Verna raised their family in a Te Kuiti farm house, which they have recently sold, although they still live in Te Kuiti.
Rugby career
Meads played his first game for King Country team in 1955, at the age of 19. Scoring a try, and even a drop-goal (an unusual feat for a lock), Meads impressed in his debut match.In 1955 Meads was selected for the New Zealand under 21 side which toured Ceylon (now Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
). He "played all eight matches, scored three tries and was recognised by the Rugby Almanack as one of the 1955 season's most promising players." In 1956 Meads played in national trials and for the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, and in 1957 was selected for the tour of Australia. He played ten matches and made his test debut, playing both of the internationals against the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, scoring a try in the second. Although normally a lock, he played at flanker and number 8, and even wing (from where he scored a try), as the All Black team was strong on locks.
From 1957 until 1971 Meads was effectively an automatic All Black selection. The International Rugby Hall of Fame considers him to have been 'the most famous forward in world rugby throughout the 1960s'. His strength and high threshold for pain became legendary — best illustrated when in a game against Eastern Transvaal
Falcons (rugby team)
The Falcons, or Valke in Afrikaans, are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments....
in South Africa, in which he emerged from a particularly vicious ruck with his arm dangling horribly, with an obvious fracture, yet completed the match. When the doctor cut away his shirt and confirmed the break, Meads muttered, "At least we won the bloody game."
Meads had the reputation of being "an enforcer" and was involved in some controversial incidents. In 1967, he was sent off by Irish referee Kevin D. Kelleher for dangerous play against at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, and became only the second All Black suspended in a test match. The British Daily Telegraph newspaper said of the incident that 'For one with Meads' worldwide reputation for robust play, this was rather like sending a burglar to prison for a parking offence.' In Australia he is notorious for having ended the career of Ken Catchpole
Ken Catchpole
Ken Catchpole OAM, is a former Australian rugby union footballer. A state and national representative half-back, he played twenty-seven matches for Australia, thirteen as captain. Catchpole rose through the ranks at the Randwick club as a young man, before making his debut for New South Wales...
by pulling Catchpole's leg while he was pinned down, causing him serious injury.
He captained the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
a number of times - though never a regular captain, he holds the record of longest period of captaincy (not consecutive games), from the first date (1960) he was appointed captain to the last match he captained (1971).
After retirement
After retiring as a player in 1973, Meads became chairman of the King Country union, and spent time selecting and coaching the now-defunct North IslandNorth Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
rugby team. In 1986 he was elected to the national selection panel, but was fired later in the year for acting as coach to the unauthorised New Zealand Cavaliers
New Zealand Cavaliers
The Cavaliers was the name given to an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986.The rebel tour occurred after the official All Black tour planned for 1985 was cancelled due to a legal ruling that it would be incompatible with the NZRFU's legally stated purpose:...
tour of apartheid South Africa, where the All Blacks were no longer allowed to tour. In 1992 he was elected to the New Zealand Rugby Union council. In 1994 and 1995 he was All Blacks manager. He left the council in 1996.
Although retired from rugby for many years, Meads is still a familiar face to many New Zealanders. He is a frequent public speaker at events, and still appears in a number of television spots, endorsing Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
ATVs, Bob Charles Deer Velvet, Lifejacket safety awareness, Provincial Finance and Mastercard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
. Colin Meads has featured on Mainland Cheese television commercials throughout the later half of 2009 and early 2011.
A Colin Meads fan club meets regularly, wearing No. 5 jerseys, drinking 5oz beers and reading from "Colin Meads All Black" while planning how to mark the great man's birthday on 3 June.
Honours and tributes
Meads is regarded by many as New Zealand's greatest ever rugby player, and was named Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards dinner in 1999. He is a member of both the International Rugby Hall of FameInternational Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception representing a wide...
. In 2001 he was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, the second-highest honour in the New Zealand honours system. In May 2009 he decided to accept the offer to exchange his DCNZM
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
to Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
.
The trophy contested in New Zealand's domestic competition, the Heartland Championship
Heartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition,...
, is named the Meads Cup in his honour. The All Blacks website states 'As a sporting legend Meads is New Zealand's equivalent of Australia's Sir Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
or the United States of America's Babe Ruth.'