Graeme Bachop is a former rugby player from New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 of Samoan,Tahitian and Cook Islands Heritage.

He played for the Linwood Rugby club for ten years (1985–1994) followed by four years (1994–1997) at Christchurch High School Old Boys. His move to HSOB allowed him to develop a combination with first five-eighths Andrew Mehrtens

Andrew Mehrtens

Andrew Philip Mehrtens MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, currently playing in France for Béziers, a club in the third-level Fédérale 1 league...

. In 1987 he was selected for the 1987 trip to Japan in place of David Kirk

David Kirk

David Edward Kirk, MBE, , is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He is best known for having been the captain of the All Blacks when they won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987....

 who had retired after the 1987 Rugby World Cup

1987 Rugby World Cup

The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and Australia agreed to co-host the first ever tournament with New Zealand hosting seventeen pool stage matches, two quarter-finals and the final with Australia being the junior partner hosting seven pool matches, two...

. Bachop was one of very few players to be selected for New Zealand before ever having represented his province. In 1989 he was promoted to test halfback under coach Alex Wyllie

Alex Wyllie

Alex "Grizz" Wyllie is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach.Wyllie began his first-class career with Canterbury in 1964 and played 210 matches for the province until 1979, serving as captain on over one hundred occasions...

, winning the test place ahead of Bruce Deans, and remained top choice in that position until Wyllie was no longer All Black coach. Brought back again in 1994, Graeme Bachop was widely considered to be the best halfback at the 1995 Rugby World Cup

1995 Rugby World Cup

The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country....

. In 1994 he enjoyed the chance to play for New Zealand alongside his brother Stephen

Stephen Bachop

Stephen Bachop is a former rugby player from New Zealand. He is the older brother of fellow All Black Graeme Bachop.-Provincial:...

.

After returning from the World Cup in South Africa in 1995, Bachop took up a contract to play rugby in Japan. In doing so he gave up his eligibility to play for 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....

 as players must play within New Zealand to be eligible for selection. The new All Black coach, John Hart

John Hart (rugby coach)

John Bernard Hart, ONZM was a New Zealand rugby union coach, mainly for Auckland and the All Blacks. After many years in business, during which he rose to become Group Employee Relations Director for Fletcher Challenge, then New Zealand's largest company, John Hart began his first class coaching...

, thought so highly of Bachop's skills that he attempted to have the NZRFU change its eligibility rules so he could continue in the national side. The NZRFU were unwilling to change the rule and Bachop settled in Japan with the Sannix Club. This left a gap at halfback for the All Blacks, which his club team High School Old Boys were happy to fill with Justin Marshall

Justin Marshall

Justin Warren Marshall, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He was born in Mataura and educated in Gore before settling in Christchurch. Marshall played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005...

.
He also played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup

1999 Rugby World Cup

The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...

 with the Japan national rugby union team

Japan national rugby union team

The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...

.

All Blacks statistics

• Tests: 31 (0 as Captain)
• Games: 23 (0 as Captain)
• Total Matches: 54 (0 as Captain)
• Test Points: 18pts (4t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)
• Game Points: 61pts (15t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)
• Total Points: 79pts (19t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

External links