Knowra Colin Meads Colin Meads Colin Meads (1936–2017) was a New Zealand rugby union player who played lock for the All Blacks from 1957 to 1971. Nicknamed “Pinetree,” he became one of rugby’s most celebrated forwards.
New Zealand national rugby union team : New Zealand’s national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks. Meads earned 55 test caps for the team and became one of its defining forwards.
1967 All Blacks tour of Britain, Ireland, and France : A New Zealand rugby union tour that visited Britain, Ireland, and France in 1967. Meads played on the unbeaten tour, a defining episode in his international career.
New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame : A national institution that recognizes athletes and contributors to sport in New Zealand. Meads was inducted in 1990, reflecting his status beyond the rugby field.
Martin Johnson : An English rugby union lock who captained England to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Johnson’s later international career offers a comparison with Meads as a commanding lock and captain.
Wilson Whineray : A New Zealand rugby union player who captained the All Blacks from 1958 to 1965. Whineray captained the All Blacks during much of Meads’s international career.
1970 All Blacks tour of South Africa : A New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa that included the first All Blacks team to include Māori players under apartheid-era rules. Meads was a senior player on the tour, which tested the team amid apartheid restrictions.
World Rugby Hall of Fame : An international hall of fame honoring people and institutions that shaped rugby union. Meads’s 2014 induction placed his career among the sport’s international landmarks.
John Eales : An Australian rugby union lock who captained Australia to Rugby World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999. Eales combined lineout skill and leadership in a later era, inviting comparison with Meads’s forward play.
Ian Kirkpatrick : A New Zealand rugby union player who captained the All Blacks and played flanker from 1967 to 1977. Kirkpatrick was a fellow forward in the All Blacks side during Meads’s later years.
1966 All Blacks tour of South Africa : A New Zealand rugby union tour of South Africa, played under apartheid-era racial restrictions. Meads played on this tour, part of the All Blacks’ long and contested history in South Africa.
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