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| Colin Meads | |
|---|---|
| Name | Colin Meads |
| Birth date | 1936-06-03 |
| Birth place | Morrinsville, New Zealand |
| Death date | 2017-08-20 |
| Death place | Te Kuiti, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.91 m |
| Weight | 100 kg |
| Position | Lock |
| Provincial | Waikato rugby union team |
| Nationalteam | New Zealand national rugby union team |
| Repyears | 1957–1971 |
| Caps | 55 |
| Points | 12 |
Colin Meads Colin Meads was a New Zealand rugby union player widely regarded as one of the sport's greatest forwards. Born in Morrinsville, he became a cultural icon through his performances for Waikato rugby union team and the New Zealand national rugby union team, later influencing coaching and media across New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
Meads was born in Morrinsville and raised on a sheep and beef farm near Te Kuiti, attending Te Kuiti High School and later Hamilton Technical Institute. As a youth he played in local competitions including fixtures against teams from Auckland Rugby Union, Waikato Rugby Union, and King Country Rugby Football Union. His early sporting contacts involved encounters with players from clubs in Cambridge, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand, Rotorua, and services teams linked to New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force fixtures.
Meads established himself at provincial level with Waikato rugby union team during the 1950s and 1960s, competing in the Ranfurly Shield challenges and interprovincial matches versus Auckland Rugby Football Union, Canterbury Rugby Football Union, and Wellington Rugby Football Union. He featured in notable provincial encounters against touring sides from South Africa national rugby union team, Australia national rugby union team, and British and Irish Lions. His durability in the lock position influenced provincial selections across the Bledisloe Cup era and domestic competitions involving Counties Manukau Rugby Union and Taranaki Rugby Football Union.
Selected for the New Zealand national rugby union team in 1957, Meads toured with squads to South Africa, Britain and Ireland, Canada, and Australia. He played in test matches that were part of the Bledisloe Cup, Freedom Cup, and series against the South Africa national rugby union team and the British and Irish Lions. Meads featured in historic tours including the 1959/60 and 1963–64 series and captained provincial sides facing All Blacks touring teams. He played alongside teammates such as Kel Tremain, Don Clarke, Wilson Whineray, Sir Brian Lochore, and Ian Kirkpatrick during a career spanning the amateur era into the modernisation debates involving the International Rugby Board.
Known as a hard-tackling lock, Meads combined physicality with positional intelligence valued in matches against opposition from France national rugby union team, Ireland national rugby union team, and Scotland national rugby union team. His performances drew contemporary praise from commentators in The New Zealand Herald, The Press (Christchurch), and broadcasters at Radio New Zealand and BBC Sport. Meads's legacy influenced successors such as John Kirwan in the backline culture and forwards like Richie McCaw, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, and Kieran Read in professionalism debates. He became a symbol in New Zealand sport alongside figures like Sir Edmund Hillary and entertainers such as Billy T. James in national identity discussions.
After retiring from test rugby Meads coached at club and provincial levels, offered commentary for outlets including Television New Zealand and Sky Sport (New Zealand), and made public appearances at events linked to New Zealand Rugby Museum and community organisations in Waikato Region. He undertook farm management and participated in charitable work alongside groups like New Zealand Cancer Society and sporting foundations connected with the New Zealand Rugby Players Association. Meads also engaged with media personalities from Radio Sport and appeared in documentaries examining tours by the British and Irish Lions and historical All Blacks campaigns archived by Alexander Turnbull Library.
Meads received national recognition through honours administered by the New Zealand Honours System and sporting awards from New Zealand Rugby, including induction into halls of fame and lifetime achievement awards presented by organisations such as World Rugby and national sporting bodies. He was celebrated with testimonial matches involving All Blacks Veterans and provincial selections from Waikato and King Country, and cited in commemorations alongside sporting inductees like Jonah Lomu and administrators including Lindsay Knight.
Meads married and had children while maintaining ties to his family farm near Te Kuiti and the rural community of Waitomo District. He was involved in local institutions including St. Joseph's Church (Te Kuiti) and community events tied to A&P Show circuits. Meads died in 2017 in Te Kuiti after health struggles, with tributes paid by figures from New Zealand Rugby, former teammates, and political leaders including representatives from New Zealand Parliament and regional councils such as Waikato Regional Council. He is remembered in memorials at venues like Waikato Stadium and the All Blacks Hall of Fame.
Category:New Zealand rugby union players Category:All Blacks