KeithQuinnRugby
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9 August 2014
GOOD NEWS AT LAST FOR OUR 'PINETREE!'
With the merging of the two previously rival Rugby Halls of Fame it now means that the oversight (well that's been my view for eight years or so) of Colin Meads of New Zealand not being recognised by the International Rugby Board has been corrected.
When the privately-owned International Rugby Hall of Fame started in 1997 Meads was one of the 'First XV' inducted in London. But when the IRB began their own Hall of Fame nine years later, there was seemingly no place anywhere for Meads. That was even though he was voted New Zealand's 'Player of the Century' by the New Zealand public in 1999 and had been Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009.
In the meantime well over 100 other individual players, officials, coaches, teams and media from all over the world had been inducted. But no Meads!
Though no one was ever given a reason it has now been rectified, albeit at a late time in the great New Zealander's life.
Comments 0
Two All Black tests on the same day? Correct!
In Wellington NZ's a second team loses 11-6 to the Wallabies. 12 hours later in Durban the 'A' NZ team loses 9-3 to SA. A unique but disasterous day for NZ rugby!
HAKA
A Maori challenge, or war dance, which is traditionally performed by New Zealand rugby teams before their test matches. Vigorous, aggressive and intimidating, the haka was a ritual dance performed as much to fire up its proponents as to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy. In the rugby context, the haka issues to the opposition the challenge to play hard and well.
The first New Zealand team to perform the haka was the 1905–06 team in Britain. The 1928 All Black team in South Africa did the haka and the South Africans replied with a war chant of their own, being made up on the morning of the game!
New Zealanders know that when All Black teams are made up only of Pakeha players (Europeans), the haka is never performed with the vigour and feeling exhibited by Maori players.
Originally the haka was only performed by New Zealand teams when they were playing away from home, but when Scotland toured New Zealand in 1975 and later during the World Cup games in 1987, the haka was from then on always seen within New Zealand too. It is enormously popular in all the countries visited by New Zealand teams.
How many test matches for Australia did the three famous Ella brothers play, on the field at the same time?
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