Stanley Meads

Stanley Thomas Meads (* July 12, 1938 in Arapuni, King Country, New Zealand ) is a former New Zealand rugby union player at the position of the second row striker, winger and the number eight and the younger brother of New Zealand rugby legend Colin Meads.

Stan Meads went to the High School of Te Kuiti to school and joined there as well as his brother, the local rugby club Waitete RFC. Both spent their entire rugby career at this small club. In 1957, he was first appointed to the national team of King Country RFU. 1960 and 1961 respectively followed the nomination for the selection of the North Island.

Due to his achievements he made his debut in 1961 for the New Zealand national team ( All Blacks ) in the first of three international matches against the touring New Zealand in the French national team. This game won by the All Blacks, as well as the following two, in which Mead's not aground. His debut was the first of eleven common internationals with his brother Colin.

The following year, Mead toured with the All Blacks in Australia, however, where it ran aground in either of the two matches, but took only against Australian provincial and club selections. In the same year equipped the Australian national team ( Wallabies ) the New Zealanders from a return visit. Here Meads ran into two of the three matches, both of which were won. Thus, the All Blacks were able to defend the 1962 Bledisloe Cup successfully.

1963 and 1964, he was plagued by injuries. Nevertheless, he made ​​it into the All Blacks squad for their tour to Europe and North America, where he played only in nine games. Among them was a single match against the Irish national team. During the renewed defense of the Bledisloe Cup in 1964 but he was with his brother again a regular in the national team.

When the South African national team ( Springboks ) undertook a tour in New Zealand in 1965, Meads played in all four internationals, of which the All Blacks won three and lost one. A year later he also ran in all four internationals on against the touring British and Irish Lions in New Zealand. This time the All Blacks won all the games. Also succeeded him and his brother with the joint selection of associations King Country RFU RFU and Wanganui surprising win against the Lions.

After these successes he came back late as 1966, just 28 years from active rugby since he had taken over a large sheep farm near Te Kuiti, and the rugby was no longer compatible with the work. After that, however, he remained the Rugby remain connected. He served from 1994 to 1996 as head coach of King Country.