HE was, by everyone’s measure, the toughest bloke on the field, tough as teak, a man who got his strength and fitness not by doing workouts in the gym but from toiling on his sheep farm outside the little town of Te Kuiti.
But off the field Colin Meads or Pinetree as he was known to many, was a man of much humility, a legend who always had time for the fans, especially kids waiting for his autograph, a man who devoted his time in retirement to charity work, a man who at one time had public-speaking engagements lined up for the next three years, a player who gave almost his entire collection of All Blacks jerseys to be auctioned for charity.
Pinetree started his first class rugby career player as a flanker but later became a permanent feature in the All Blacks as a lock. Such was his allround skills level though that many said he could have played in any of the 15 positions comfortably. Meads once played on the wing as a substitute.
The sight of him running and beating defenders with ball firmly held in one hand was enough to excite the crowd.
Just how tough he was was exemplified by his decision to continue playing against Eastern Transvaal while on tour to South Africa in 1970 after being confirmed to have broken his left arm and to continue playing on that tour after a break of a few matches.
Apart from the farming, Meads devoted his entire life to rugby, first as a player and after retirement, as a coach, manager and administrator for his beloved Waitete Club.
Sadly all that is gone.
Sir Colin Meads died on Sunday from the pancreatic cancer that he was diagnosed a year ago. When first diagnosed with it, he typically declared that he would “beat the bastard”.
Meads’ All Blacks career lasted 14 years from 1957, a period during which he never lost his hold on the jersey.
He first made the New Zealand Colts team that toured Sri Lanka in 1955 and earned his first All Blacks cap in 1957 on a tour to Australia.
Some of his time as a lock for the All Blacks was in partnership with his younger brother Stan who however chose to retire early so that the senior Meads could continue to play while he looked after the farm.
In all Pinetree played 133 games for the All Blacks, including 55 Tests and 11 as captain, in a career that ended with the series defeat against the British Lions in 1971. After retiring from international rugby, Meads played for another two years with his King Country provincial side.
He not only meant so much to All Blacks rugby but also to New Zealand and his hometown of Te Kuiti.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth too knew who he was and where he came from, indicating so while being introduced to Meads on the field before an All Blacks game against England at Twickenham.
Such was the farming town’s respect for him and gratitude to him that last June Te Kuiti unveiled a statue of him in the town centre.
Although already weak from fighting the cancer, Meads made it to the unveiling ceremony. He found humour in that too, suggesting that the statue should be holding a beer in one hand, a liquid for which he was known to love to consume in large amounts and a fondness which scared off almost everyone who had the opportunity to sit at a bar with him.
The town was also renamed “Meadsville” during the last Lions tour to honour him and also welcome the many rugby tourists from overseas.
The rugby provided the opportunity for Meads to establish long lasting friendships, including with players outside of New Zealand, despite the intense personal rivalry on the field.
Both he and Ireland’s equally tough lock Willie John McBride would stay in each other’s home while former All Blacks captain Sir Brian Lochore, who played 24 of 25 Tests with Meads, became another close friend, with both families knowing each other well.
Meads’ funeral is due for next week, with the New Zealand government stating that a state funeral was a possibility but the final decision, according to Prime Minister Bill English, lies with the family, who for now has decided it w
ill be a public funeral in Te Kuiti.