Colin Meads

Colin Earl Meads, KNZM, MBE ( born June 3, 1936 in Cambridge, New Zealand ) is a former New Zealand rugby union player.

Career

Meads, who was nicknamed Pinetree ( pine), played 133 games for the All Blacks, the New Zealand national team, with 55 official international games. Earlier in his career played as a winger and number 8, then later he advanced to the position of the second row forward, where he and his brother Stanley Meads eleven nations - even a 30 - times All Black - graduated.

Took over several times Colin Meads, the captain role for the national team, but never for a long time. Nevertheless, he holds the record for the longest time as captain - from 1960 until 1971.

He was considered one of the toughest players of his sport. During a match against Scotland in 1967 he was placed as the second player ever in Rugby Union Sport from the square. In a ruck in a game against Eastern Transvaal in South Africa in 1970 he broke his arm. Although his arm was hanging and the fracture was not to be overlooked, Meads played on. As a doctor after the game cut open the shirt and confirmed the suspicion, Meads muttered, "At least we won the damn game." ( " At least we won the bloody game. " )

Many observers criticized Meads, however due to unnecessary brutality in his game. So the New Zealand sports journalist Sir Terry McLean commented on his admission as a founding member of the NZ Sports Hall of Fame after his resignation in 1972:

After the end of his playing career Mead worked as a trainer and for the New Zealand Rugby Union. 1999, this declared him "Player of the Century."