1979 Battle of Auckland
Kevin Smith: actor, musician, and aspiring All Black.
Kevin Smith was a New Zealand actor and musician, best known for playing Ares in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin-offs. He played rugby in high school and hoped to become an All Black.
- venue
- Eden Park, Auckland
- competitors
- New Zealand vs. South Africa (Springboks)
- result
- All Blacks won 20–16
- notable_incident
- Massive brawl involving players and spectators
- significance
- Peak of the 'Great Springbok Tour' controversy era
Lore & Background
Kevin Smith attended Timaru Boys' High School from 1976 to 1979. He played rugby and hoped to become a member of New Zealand's world-famous rugby team, the All Blacks. He later suffered a concussion while playing university rugby union in 1987.
In Their Own Story
The air in Eden Park was thick with smoke from flares and the roar of twenty thousand protesting fans. On the grass, mud-stained jerseys clashed as the referee's whistle seemed lost in the din. A Springbok forward drove into an All Black lock, not for the ball, but to assert dominance, sending a spray of dirt across the pitch. The crowd held its breath, knowing that one more collision could ignite the stadium completely.
Reader's Guide
Springboks test. It only states that Smith hoped to become an All Black and played rugby in high school and university.
Did You Know?
- Kevin Smith played rugby during high school and hoped to become an All Black.
- He suffered a concussion while playing university rugby union in 1987.
- Smith attended Timaru Boys' High School from 1976 to 1979.
More in Iconic Matches
Elsewhere in the New Zealand All Blacks universe
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