Colin Meads

Legendary All Blacks lock, nicknamed 'Pinetree', known for his toughness and considered one of the greatest players in history.

Sir Colin Earl Meads (3 June 1936 – 20 August 2017) was a New Zealand rugby union player. He played 55 test matches (133 games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 1971. Meads is widely considered one of the greatest players in history. Nicknamed 'Pinetree' due to his physical presence, he was an icon within New Zealand rugby, and was named the country's Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards in 1999.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Colin Earl Meads
Born: 3 June 1936
Birthplace: Cambridge, New Zealand
Died: 20 August 2017
Place of death: Te Kūiti, New Zealand
School: Te Kuiti High School
Relatives: Stan Meads (brother); Rhonda Wilcox (daughter)
Weight: 102 kg / 225 lb

Lore & Background

Colin Earl Meads was born to Vere Meads and Ida Meads (née Gray) on 3 June 1936, in the town of Cambridge in the Waikato region. He was raised on a sheep farm near Te Kūiti and credited the farming lifestyle for his strong physique and high level of fitness. His brother Stanley Meads also played for the All Blacks. Meads and his wife Verna had five children.

He played his club rugby for Waitete R.F.C in Te Kūiti and his entire provincial career for King Country, playing 138 games for the province. He made his provincial debut for King Country in 1956 against Waikato. In 1958 he was also selected for the New Zealand under 21 side which toured Ceylon. He was selected for the 1957 tour of Australia, making his test debut against the Wallabies.

From 1957 until 1971 he was effectively an automatic pick for the All Blacks. He was named captain of the All Blacks 11 times, his first in a 23–9 victory over the Combined Services during the 1963–64 tour of Britain. His final test was the third test of the 1971 Lions series, which the All Blacks lost 13–3. He seriously injured his back in a Land Rover accident in October 1971, but he had already played his final All Blacks test in August 1971, so the accident did not end his All Blacks career.

He continued playing for King Country for the remainder of the 1972 season before retiring, amassing a total of 361 first class matches. After retiring as a player after the 1972 season, he became a selector and later a coach for the King Country union, and later was elected to the national selection panel but was fired for acting as coach to the unauthorised New Zealand Cavaliers tour of apartheid South Africa. In 1992 he was elected to the New Zealand Rugby Union council and remained there for four years. In 1994 and 1995 he was All Blacks manager. He died on 20 August 2017 from pancreatic cancer.

Reader's Guide

Colin Meads is a lock forward (second row), though he occasionally played at number 8 and even wing, but never as a flanker. He is known for his strength, high pain threshold, and reputation as a 'hard man'. Notable incidents include playing with a broken arm, being sent off against Scotland in 1967, and the controversial end of Ken Catchpole's career. He was named Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards in 1999. He is a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.