Bradley Slater

NPBHS Old Boy: 2012–2016

All Black: 2026–present
Position: Hooker

Bradley Slater is an All Blacks hooker whose international career began in 2026. He represents New Zealand at the highest level of international rugby, earning his place among the country's elite players.

Reuben Thorne

NPBHS Old Boy: Boarder 1988-1992

All Black: 1999–2007

​Position: Flanker / Lock

Matches: 51
Tests: 50
Games: 1

Points: 25
Tests: 25

Few New Zealand players have suffered as much from unfair and inaccurate criticism as Reuben Thorne, an admirable tight-loose forward who, for more than a decade between 1997 and 2008, gave Canterbury, the Crusaders and the All Blacks exemplary service.

Thorne was a classical example of the player's player. In other words, as with so many in the blindside flanker position, which requires so much unglamorous donkey work, Thorne's worth was generally only recognised by those playing with or against him.

Especially unfair were constant references to Thorne as 'Captain Invisible', which were more a commentary on his critics' ignorance than a reflection of Thorne's abilities. Those critics should have remembered one of the game's enduring truisms ... that the most effective work in the tight is often achieved by those forwards who are rarely seen.

What made Thorne so invaluable and appreciated by every team and coach for whom he played was his high work rate, his power as a scrummager and as a lineout option, and his powerful close-quarter defence. And with his calm personality, he was also a successful leader.

Though Canterbury-born, Thorne spent most of his childhood and teenage years in the North Island and played for one of the country's best First XVs at New Plymouth Boys' High School. Even then, though, Thorne tended to be an unobtrusive grafter and was never selected for a national age-group side.

His rise as a first-class player came when he returned to Canterbury to attend Lincoln College. As a member of the High School Old Boys club, he played twice in 1996 as a Canterbury representative, winning a regular spot as a lock in 1997. That year, under the coaching for the first time of Robbie Deans, Canterbury won the National Provincial Championship.

Thorne's promising performances were rewarded with promotion to the Crusaders for the 1998 Super 12, and he was a member of the sides which won a hat-trick of titles in 1998–2000.

He became an All Black in the 1999 season, making that year's World Cup squad and being used mainly as a blindside flanker. For the next couple of years, Thorne remained in All Black squads, though he battled for a regular spot, often being used from the bench.

He finally became an automatic first choice in the 2002 season, when the new All Black coaching team of Robbie Deans and John Mitchell promoted him to the captaincy. Thorne, in the meantime, had continued to have rare success with Canterbury and the Crusaders. He was in the Canterbury side which won the Ranfurly Shield in 2000, the side which held the Shield and won the NPC in 2001, again in a Shield-winning side in 2004, and captained the Crusaders to the Super 12 title in 2002. He was also in the side which won the 2005–06 titles.

The new coaching team headed by Graham Henry gave Thorne few chances in the 2004–05 seasons and, in the latter year, he was even relegated to the captaincy of the Junior All Blacks, for which he was subsequently unavailable, but which struck many as a somewhat needless insult.

Thorne was recalled, however, for the 2006–07 seasons, apparently for his off-field value as a squad mentor. He was even made captain for one of the Tests, leading the All Blacks to their 64–13 win over Canada and giving him a Test captaincy record of 20 wins from 23 matches.

Thorne was in the 2007 World Cup and, despite being affected by an injury, played as a lock in the two pool games against Scotland and Romania. One of the big disappointments for Thorne would have been being in three World Cup squads, in 1999, 2003 and 2007, and suffering disappointing exits each time. The other player to have been in all those frustrating tournaments was halfback Byron Kelleher.

Those 2007 World Cup matches brought his Test tally to 50. And when he farewelled New Zealand rugby after the 2008 season to take up a Japanese contract, Thorne had played well over 100 games for the Crusaders and 72 games for Canterbury.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Greg Feek

NPBHS Old Boy: 1989–1993

All Black: 1999–2001
Position: Prop

Matches: 10
Tests: 10
Games: 0

Prop Greg Feek appeared to have a promising international future in front of him, but despite having three seasons in the All Blacks, a string of injuries meant his career did not reach the heights that at one time seemed likely.

A loosehead specialist, the New Plymouth-born Feek first appeared at national level in 1994 in a powerful New Zealand Under-19 team that defeated Australia 55–6. Christian Cullen, Carlos Spencer and Anton Oliver were the most prominent among the future stars in that side.

He made his first-class debut for Taranaki as a 20-year-old early in the 1996 season, then played all five matches for New Zealand Colts in the Southern Hemisphere Under-21 tournament. Back with Taranaki, his season just got better as part of the team that lifted the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland, then defended it against North Harbour. That, though, was the end of his first-class season as All Black M. R. Bull Allen returned from the tour of South Africa.

After Allen's departure to Manawatu, Feek played a full season for Taranaki in 1997, when wins over Auckland and Argentina were a highlight. The Rugby Almanack recorded him as one of the tireless workers among the tight forwards.

Feek was drafted into the Crusaders for the 1998 Super 12, making five appearances, though only starting once. He also appeared twice for the Rugby Academy in wins over a hapless England, who played seven matches in Australia, New Zealand (five games) and South Africa and lost them all, and Tonga.

He and All Black Gordon Slater formed a formidable NPC front row in an efficient Taranaki side which recorded wins over major unions Auckland and Waikato. At the end of the season, he made his first appearances for New Zealand Māori on their three-match tour of Scotland, where he started against Edinburgh, scoring two tries, and Glasgow, and came off the bench against Scotland.

The 1999 season began well for Feek, starting regularly for the Crusaders and helping them beat the Highlanders 24–19 in the Super 12 final. Now transferred to Canterbury, he was called into the All Black squad for the domestic Tests, though Otago's Carl Hoeft was the first-choice loosehead.

Feek made appearances as a substitute against Samoa and Australia and started against South Africa. At the World Cup, he came on as a substitute in the win over England and started in the 101–3 romp against Italy. He made just one appearance for his new province Canterbury before World Cup duties intervened.

Feek shared the loosehead duties for the Crusaders with Dave Hewett in 2000, though it was Feek who played the last three matches, including the tight 20–19 win over the Brumbies in the final. After helping New Zealand Māori to an 18–15 win over Scotland, he was not required for the domestic and Tri-Nations Tests and missed the first part of the NPC season through injury, with Hewett proving a very capable replacement.

After four appearances as a substitute, the first of which was in the lifting of the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato, his only start was in the final, a 29–34 loss to Wellington. He was, however, selected for the end-of-season tour, starting in all three Tests for a win and a loss against France and a big victory over Italy. The Rugby Almanack rated him as one of four All Black props whose form and availability varied during the season.

His best season may have been in 2001. He and Hewett shared the Crusaders' loosehead duties in what was a forgettable season for the franchise, finishing a lowly 10th in the round robin.

In June, Feek was part of the first New Zealand Māori team to play Australia in Australia since 1958, and the side performed well before eventually being beaten 29–41. There was success later in the month for the Māori, beating Argentina 43–24.

Missing out on the mid-season Tests, Feek had some compensation as first choice for Canterbury, who retained the Ranfurly Shield throughout the season and beat Otago to win the NPC final. At the end of the season, under new All Black coach John Mitchell, he toured to Ireland, Scotland and Argentina, playing in the Test wins against the first two countries.

Though only 26 years of age, that was the end of Feek's All Black career. He continued with Canterbury and the Crusaders until 2005, though injuries again curtailed his availability.

In 2006, when he made his last appearance for New Zealand Māori, he moved to the new Tasman union, formed by the amalgamation of Nelson Bays and Marlborough, and was to captain their Air New Zealand Cup side until injury again intervened. He recovered to make five appearances towards the end of the season to end his first-class career.

Though never a fixture in the All Blacks and perhaps not fulfilling his potential, the powerfully built 1.85m (6ft 1in), 117kg (17st) Feek, despite his injury breaks, enjoyed considerable success at Super 12 and NPC level and was twice involved with teams that lifted the Ranfurly Shield.

He finished his meritorious career having appeared in 10 Tests, 66 matches for the Crusaders, 39 for Canterbury, 27 for Taranaki and 16 for New Zealand Māori.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Bryce Robins

NPBHS Old Boy: 1972-1976

All Black: 1985
Position: Wing / Three-quarter

Matches: 4
Tests: 0
Games: 4

Points: 16
Games: 16

Bryce Robins was a cheerful, sturdily built Taranaki wing or midfielder who was the bolter in the selection of the All Blacks for the scheduled, subsequently aborted tour of South Africa in 1985. Most had thought that Robins had done well simply to gain a place in the All Black trial in Invercargill.

Till then, most would have assumed that the highlight of Robins' career would have remained playing Taranaki's Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato in 1980 and for the province against visiting international sides, the 1981 Springboks, the 1982 Wallabies and the 1984 French.

But Robins' enthusiasm and determination had impressed All Black coach Brian Lochore for a number of years, and the 1.75m, 86kg dynamo was included in the touring party. In 1985, Taranaki was only a second-division union, but the selection of Robins meant it had three backs in the side, Kieran Crowley and David Loveridge being the others. Such representation would have been rare today, even for a province in the bottom half of the first division.

When the tour to South Africa was scrapped, Robins went to Argentina instead. He played in four matches and never looked as if he would displace John Kirwan and Craig Green as the Test wings. But he was a popular member of the party and scored four tries, two against the Buenos Aires selection and another two against the Córdoba selection.

Robins was also on the rebel Cavaliers tour of South Africa in 1986, but again was mainly a backup and was not used in any of the four matches against the Springboks which, of course, were never granted Test status.

Robins was never again an All Black contender but continued to give Taranaki admirable, wholehearted service, usually as a wing but occasionally at centre. Between 1980 and 1992, he played 149 games for the province, in which he scored more than 60 tries.

Among his appearances were further Ranfurly Shield challenges against Wellington (1982), Canterbury (1985) and Auckland in 1988, 1989 and 1991, and in the 13–13 draw against the touring Welsh in 1988.

Robins' son, also Bryce, has been a leading midfield back in recent seasons for Taranaki, and has also represented the Hurricanes and New Zealand Māori.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Geoff Old

NPBHS Old Boy: 1970s

All Black: 1980–1983
Position: Loose Forward

Matches: 17
Tests: 3
Games: 14

Points: 4
Games: 4

Taranaki has had a larger influence in the success of Manawatu teams in the 1970s and eighties than most supporters care to admit. During this time, a dozen Manawatu representatives were Taranaki-born and educated before attending Massey University or Teachers' College in Palmerston North. Among these were Alan Innes, Murray Watts, Paul Broederlow, Terry Sole and Geoff Old, all outstanding representatives who received higher honours, with Old becoming a Manawatu All Black. Geoff Old played over a hundred games for the union, scoring more tries than any other Manawatu forward.

Born in Eltham on January 22, 1956, Geoff Old attended Eltham Primary School before going to New Plymouth B.H.S. In 1972–73, he represented Taranaki Secondary Schools and North Island Under-18, as well as the school First XV, which was most successful and won the Moascar Cup in 1972.

Coached by Max Carroll, the First XV had Old at lock or No. 8, Mark Donaldson at halfback or five-eighth, and Bruce Middleton. For Old and Donaldson, an association had begun which was to continue through their careers, for H.S.O.B., Te Kawau, Manawatu, North Island and the All Blacks.

Joining Eltham Club in 1974, Old represented Taranaki in eight games, generally partnering Ian Eliason at lock. The 18-year-old attracted the attention of the Almanack editors, who voted the 6'3" (1.90m), 15-stone (95kg) forward one of their five promising players of 1974.

The Almanack commented: "Would seem to have excellent prospects. Playing at lock or No. 8, Old was a forceful worker in the tight and an excellent lineout exponent. He also has ability as a place-kicker."

Graduating from the Trentham Police College in 1975, Constable Old was posted to Palmerston North, where he continued to develop as a No. 8 for High School Old Boys and Manawatu.

A Junior All Black in 1976 and again in 1978, when he played five matches on the Queensland tour, he played his first All Black trial in 1979 and was a part-time goal kicker for Manawatu. In three successive games he scored 36 points, with 10 against Horowhenua, 13 against South Canterbury, and 13 for New Zealand Services in their 21–6 win over Australian Services at Auckland.

Old was outstanding throughout the 1980 season, the Almanack commenting: "As No. 8 in the Manawatu scrum Geoff Old was a powerful hard driving forward with the ball in hand, leading many assaults and feeding the ball successfully. His vigorous drives and tireless chasing of the ball, had a lot to do with his union's convincing victories in the course of its search for the National Championship title."

His efforts were rewarded with selection to the New Zealand XV that met Fiji and subsequently to the All Black side for its Welsh visit. Old had a fine tour of Wales and pushed Mexted hard for the No. 8 Test position.

Reserve in the first two Tests against the 1981 Springboks, Old replaced injured Mark Shaw on the side of the scrum for the third Test at Auckland. In his only full Test appearance, Old was one of the heroes in that dramatic "flour-bomb" international.

Touring Romania and France late in the year, Old played six of the seven matches leading up to the first Test but had to give way to Mexted for the Tests. Mexted had missed much of the tour through injury.

Old was again reserve during the Test series against Australia in 1982 and the Lions and Australia in 1983. His only appearance in the eight Tests was fifteen minutes as a replacement lock against the Australians at Christchurch in 1982.

In November 1983, he toured England and Scotland, his third and final All Black tour. The following year, the 28-year-old No. 8 made himself unavailable for the tour of Australia.

Leaving High School O.B. to join Te Kawau in 1984, Old led Combined Services to victory over Wellington, then missed early-season representative rugby with a broken thumb, returning in August to lead Manawatu for the remainder of the season.

For over a decade, the tall Police Constable provided Manawatu a wealth of ball from the back of the lineout. An excellent two-handed taker, he supplemented Manawatu's tall locks well.

Geoff needed to be driven hard to produce his best, and he had no better general than Mark Donaldson, who had that rare ability of producing the best from any player. The pair knew each other's play well, being by far the most experienced No. 8–halfback combination in provincial rugby.

They played together at the back of the Manawatu scrum in over 80 games, played all their secondary school rugby together and, since 1976, all club rugby together. By coincidence, Geoff's first five games in the All Black jersey happened to be Mark's final five games as an All Black, and yes, they played all those together. Their understanding was one of the major factors in Manawatu's Ranfurly Shield and National Championship successes.

After coaching the Te Kawau club in Manawatu, Geoff Old served as the Netherlands national coach from 1997–99 and in 2001 was USA Rugby's Technical Director.

Profile courtesy Clive Akers.

Mark Donaldson

NPBHS Old Boy: 1969–1973

All Black: 1977–1981
Position: Halfback

Matches: 35
Tests: 13
Games: 22

Points: 28
Tests: 4
Games: 24

The most prominent player in Manawatu rugby in the 1970s and 1980s was, without doubt, the brilliant halfback Mark Donaldson. From 1976, "Bullet" was a vital member of Manawatu teams during their most successful era. He had that rare ability to anticipate play and be in the right place at the right time. As a covering halfback, he had no peer. He displayed skills which the likes of Laidlaw, Going, Gareth Edwards or Loveridge could not match; he passed or kicked with deadly accuracy and ran with speed and aggression.

A decisive speaker, Mark spoke with deep sincerity behind the microphone at functions, giving generous praise, encouragement or advice to teammates, opposition, referees or supporters.

The son of Bill Donaldson, a prominent halfback and first five for Manawatu during the 1950s, Mark was born in Palmerston North on November 6, 1955. He attended College Street School before boarding at New Plymouth B.H.S. from 1969–73, being in the First XV the final two years.

Joining HSOB in 1974, the 18-year-old played for New Zealand Colts before making his debut for Manawatu against Horowhenua. After a season with Hawke's Bay in 1975, he returned to give many fine displays for Manawatu during 1976, including in the winning of the Ranfurly Shield.

Mark bounced onto the national scene in 1977, beginning with a fine tour in Australia with the Barbarians followed by his first All Black trial. But following the Lions match at Palmerston North, he received severe criticism from the press after he blatantly kicked a forward, the incident being replayed frequently on television. Mark was one of many players to suffer serious injury during the rugged game, and his brief outbreak did not help his chances of All Black selection for the Lions series.

However, he played for the Juniors and was powerful throughout the defences of the Ranfurly Shield, gaining selection for the tour of France, where he played both Tests. He retained his position throughout 1978, with three Tests against Australia and a tour of Britain with the Grand Slam side, missing only the international against Wales when injured.

After touring South Africa with a World Invitation XV in March 1979, Donaldson played in the series against France and Australia but lost his Test spot to Dave Loveridge on the tour of England and Scotland. Though not possessing the natural aggressive attacking flair or brilliance of Donaldson, the selectors preferred to play the more consistently reliable Loveridge.

Returning to his best form the next year, Mark toured Australia but, after only two matches, came home with a broken jaw. He captained Manawatu to win the National Championship, played for the All Blacks against Fiji and toured Wales in October, leading the team against Newport.

Reserve halfback for the 1981 Scotland and Springbok series, Donaldson's only appearance on the field was in the final seconds of the dramatic third Springbok Test at Auckland when he replaced the injured Loveridge. In the 79th minute, with the score at 22–22, the All Blacks were awarded an indirect penalty. Donaldson quickly snapped up the ball and charged at the Springboks, who hadn't retired the required ten metres. The referee duly awarded the penalty, which gave Hewson the chance to kick for goal to win the match and series. Hewson's penalty attempt is now history, but few recall that it was Donaldson's quick thinking which made victory possible.

After being selected to tour Romania and France, the sports store manager withdrew for personal reasons. The Almanack commented on his 1981 performances:

"Was at the peak of his career, and produced rugby equal to his best of earlier years. Captaining Manawatu, his astute judgement proved a vital factor, knowing when to pass, when to kick and when to make his very successful breaks round the blind side."

The Almanack added that there were few better halves playing behind a winning pack, with Donaldson having been fortunate to play behind such a powerful Manawatu pack.

Mark continued to lead Manawatu through 1982 and into 1983 until suddenly giving the game away mid-season. But after a break, he made a most welcome return in time for the Shield challenge.

Switching to Te Kawau Club in 1984, he was injured early in the year, having his leg in plaster and missing the representative season, but returned in 1985 to lead his club and Manawatu until again being injured.

Mark Donaldson had his ups and downs in rugby, received some very unfair criticism and was involved in controversy. Injuries caused much frustration and, for many vital games, he took pain-killing injections. His commitment to rugby was total; he gave his best in every outing, full of aggression and guts. Rugby has never known a greater competitor, and Manawatu would not have enjoyed as great a success without the flair of "Bullet".

Formerly a sports store proprietor, he went into partnership with ex-All Black manager Mike Banks as a hotel proprietor. He coached Manawatu from 1990–92 and gave future All Black Lee Stensness's playing career a shot in the arm by picking him from the Varsity Under-21 side to play the final four games for the 1990 Manawatu NPC side, bringing him to national attention.

Profile courtesy Clive Akers.

Ash Gardiner

NPBHS Old Boy: tbc
All Black: 1974
Position: Prop

Matches: 11
Tests: 1
Games: 10

Points: 8
Games: 8

Ash Gardiner was one of those long-serving provincial stalwarts to whom coach John Stewart turned when, in 1974, on the tour of Australia, he wanted to bring in a more dedicated and disciplined approach to the All Blacks.

Until his appearance at the April All Black trials of that year, Gardiner had had little national recognition, despite the fact he had been playing as a tighthead prop specialist for Taranaki since 1966. But outside Taranaki, his only national honours had been at Under-23 level. He had New Zealand Junior trials in each of the 1967 and 1969 seasons and captained the Junior side which met All Japan at Athletic Park in 1968.

That game was lost and presumably Gardiner was put on a scrapheap because of it.

But in the next six of seven seasons, he amassed a vast amount of experience with Taranaki, appearing for that union against international opponents such as Wales (1969), the Lions (1971), the Wallabies (1972) and England (1973). Stewart was well aware of that background when he suddenly pitched him into the All Blacks in 1974.

Strongly built and 1.85m tall, Gardiner was a product of the renowned New Plymouth club, Tukapa. His Taranaki propping contemporaries included Jaz Muller and John McEldowney, and players like these established a strong Taranaki heritage in the front row which, in later years, has been continued among others by Mark Allen, Greg Feek and Gordon Slater.

Gardiner had an excellent tour of Australia, playing in nine of the matches, and for the third Test of the series in Sydney he won his only cap when he displaced Billy Bush in the front row.

Later in the 1974 season, Gardiner played for the North Island and had another All Black trial. He then made the short tour of Ireland but played only in the matches against Munster and Ulster. Because of the tour's compressed itinerary, four props were chosen, and that limited Gardiner's chances, with Kent Lambert being recalled and winning the Test position.

Gardiner became Taranaki's captain in 1974 but, after reaching 102 games for the union, was forced into premature retirement in 1975 on medical advice. But he continued to serve the Tukapa club as an administrator and coach.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Peter Johns

NPBHS Old Boy: tbc
All Black: 1968
Position: Five-eighth / Fullback

Matches: 6
Tests: 0
Games: 6

Points: 6
Games: 6

Peter Johns appeared sporadically at first-class level in the late 1960s and early 1970s, owing his elevation at national level to an appearance for Wanganui-King Country in 1966 when, in a famous match, the combined side upset the British Lions.

Johns, who was in the regular army based at Waiouru, was a second five-eighth or centre who played just 14 matches for Wanganui between 1966 and 1968. At 1.80m and nearly 82kg, he impressed in the match against the Lions with his pace, sure handling and solid tackling at centre.

That won him a place in the New Zealand Junior side at centre outside two other future All Blacks in the five-eighths, Gerald Kember and Wayne Cottrell. But in the warm-up match against Marlborough, Johns, who had ill luck with injuries during his brief career, was injured and missed playing for the Under-23 selection against the Lions.

In 1968, with a number of midfield backs, including Kember and Ian MacRae, unavailable, Johns was given a trial for the team to tour Australia and won selection.

However, he had only moderate success on tour. He made six appearances, having three starts at second five, two at fullback and coming on as an injury replacement against Australian Capital Territory. He played in only the minor games against mainly heavily outclassed opposition and never appeared in line for Test selection.

Against Tasmania, Johns drop-kicked a goal and scored a try against Australian Combined Services.

A Taranaki product, Johns returned home soon after the tour, playing for both the Fitzroy and Okato clubs, but never appeared for that union. He made a brief comeback with one match at centre for Bay of Plenty in 1970 and came on as a replacement in the latter stages of that year's early North Island All Black trial.

But that was the last of Johns in major rugby and, in an unusual first-class career for an All Black, he played only 25 games. He subsequently coached both the Fitzroy and Tukapa teams and was president of the Fitzroy club in 1979.

His elder brother Roy, a pacy wing, represented Taranaki and was in the side which lifted the Ranfurly Shield from Wellington in 1963. Their father, Reg, had represented Waikato in 1938 and Taranaki in 1939.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Kevin Briscoe

NPBHS Old Boy: [years]
All Black: 1960–1964
Position: Halfback

Matches: 43
Tests: 9
Games: 34

Points: 55
Games: 55

Though somewhat taller than the 5ft 3½in to which he has been attributed in some histories, Kevin Briscoe was a short, stocky halfback who was a fully combative competitor, whether playing for Taranaki or the All Blacks.

Briscoe, however, had the ill luck to have a career which coincided with the arrival in the early 1960s of the great Australian Des Connor in New Zealand rugby. Even though Connor had been a Wallaby, there were no international regulations at the time, and eligibility for New Zealand depended simply on being a resident of the country and being a registered member of a club here.

So, after establishing himself as the All Blacks' first-choice halfback on the 1960 tour of South Africa, where he played with distinction in all four Tests, Briscoe in 1961 found himself displaced by Connor for the Tests against France.

Briscoe was in the squad but only as a reserve, and he again understudied Connor for the 1962 tour of Australia and in the domestic Tests against the Wallabies the same year.

Connor was a surprise omission for the 1963–64 tour of Britain and France, and Briscoe not only regained his number-one spot at halfback but was the team's vice-captain as well.

But by then another outstanding halfback, Chris Laidlaw, was emerging, and for the international against France, Briscoe was replaced by the then 20-year-old. He never recaptured his All Black spot, despite remaining a fine player for Taranaki, especially during the province's 1963–65 Ranfurly Shield era.

Briscoe, even before making the All Blacks, was well used to having to overcome strong competition for a starting XV place. In Taranaki, his contemporary was another All Black halfback, Roger Urbahn.

There were frequent debates in Taranaki over their respective talents, and one letter to a New Plymouth newspaper alleging a bias towards Briscoe by the then national selector Jack Sullivan because he belonged to his Tukapa club almost brought legal action.

Briscoe made the Taranaki representative team as a 20-year-old in 1957 and had played few first-class games when chosen for the New Zealand Under-23 team's tour of Japan early in 1958. For most of this period, including the 1957–59 Shield reign, Taranaki preferred Urbahn, particularly because of his combination with his clubmate, Bill Cameron.

In 1959, Urbahn played three of the four Tests against the British Lions but was replaced for the second Test by Briscoe. Both Taranaki halfbacks then went on the 1960 tour of South Africa, and it was there that Briscoe, with a more robust style of play, first gained an edge over Urbahn which was to last for the remainder of each man's career.

Off the field, the two were firm friends. Briscoe, who was nicknamed "Monkey", was, despite many knocks and tribulations, a cheerful personality and a popular team man.

With Ross Brown, Briscoe was the star of the Taranaki Shield era of 1963–65, and while he never played for the All Blacks again after the tour of 1963–64, he continued to be highly ranked at national level. He played for the North Island for a third time in 1965 and was in the All Black squad as a reserve for all four Tests that year against the Springboks.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

John Graham

NPBHS Old Boy: [years]
All Black: 1958–1964
Position: Flanker, Number 8

Matches: 53
Tests: 22
Games: 31

Points: 33
Tests: 6
Games: 27

Born in Stratford in 1935, John Graham undertook his secondary schooling at New Plymouth Boys' High School, where he and his brothers boarded. Graham spent two years in the 1st XV, mostly at first five-eighths.

He played three years of representative rugby for Auckland while studying at Auckland University, then moved to Christchurch. A highlight of his Auckland days was being selected to play against the 1956 Springboks at Eden Park, despite having previously played only three games for Auckland.

In 1958, John Graham took up a permanent position at Christchurch Boys' High School, where he taught a large number of boys who went on to play for the club. That same year, he was called into the All Blacks for their first two Tests against Australia.

In 1959, he withdrew from the trials, but in 1960 was selected to tour South Africa, playing in ten of the 26 matches, including the second and third Tests. He was named captain for several games.

Graham played senior rugby for Old Boys from 1958 to 1965. A measure of the regard the club had for him was that he captained the team throughout each of those years.

An intelligent player with a great turn of speed, Graham became one of the cleverest and fastest loose forwards in the All Black side. The Springboks were openly relieved when Graham was not named to play one Test match, but from 1961 to 1964 he appeared in every All Black Test, mostly at flanker, but sometimes at Number 8.

When Wilson Whineray retired in 1964, after the tour of Great Britain, Graham took over the captaincy. Captain John Graham was known for urging his team on vigorously. "The ball! The ball!" he would call out whenever he felt players might be distracted by an on-field scuffle.

John Graham has always been a man of strong opinions. As a young man touring South Africa in 1960 with the All Blacks, he was inwardly appalled by much that he saw and, on returning, spoke openly of his feelings.

"I said that if we had any conscience and feeling for humanity, we should not have been touring South Africa."

Both Graham and his old captain, Wilson Whineray, did not attend the matches on the 1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand.

Graham continued to be outspoken about the game and its organisation. He was unhappy with advertising on the All Black jersey, saying: "I may be a dinosaur in this respect, but I don't think anything should go on the All Black jersey other than the silver fern."

Graham also believed rugby had too great a hold on New Zealand, arguing that the country should place greater importance on addressing poverty and unemployment.

John Graham retired from rugby at the end of 1965 to return to his real vocation, teaching. He remained at Christchurch Boys' High School until the middle of 1970, latterly as Head of Social Studies. From there he moved to Linwood High School and, in 1973, was appointed principal of Auckland Grammar.

In education, too, Graham swam against the tide when necessary. He held firmly to the belief that the basis of good teaching was having knowledge, having the ability to impart it, and drawing out students' knowledge and building on it.

In 1999, John Graham was named 'New Zealander of the Year' by North & South magazine. The cover article of the January 2000 edition ran under the heading, "John Graham, the man who set standards".

The New Zealand Rugby Union elected John Graham to succeed Tane Norton as its President at its 2004 Annual General Meeting in Wellington.

A former All Black captain, Graham played 53 matches for New Zealand, including 22 Tests. A respected educationalist, he was made a CBE in 1994 for services to education and the community.

Graham was a former manager of the New Zealand cricket team and Chancellor of the University of Auckland. He was elected president of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 2005 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Auckland the same year.

In 2011, he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and sport.

Profile courtesy Kathy Viney, Defyd Williams and the High School Old Boys Rugby Club, Christchurch, NZ.

Ponty Reid

NPBHS Old Boy: 1944–1947
All Black: 1951–1957
Position: Halfback

Matches: 17
Tests: 5
Games: 12

Points: 6
Games: 6

Born in Te Kuiti, A. R. "Ponty" Reid attended New Plymouth Boys' High School, where he was in the 1st XV from 1944–47, captaining the side in his final year.

After two years at Auckland Teachers' College, he took up a teaching position in Hamilton in 1950, representing Waikato in its second match of the year. He held his place throughout the season, was named as a reserve for the fourth Test against the Lions and won selection as North Island halfback. Not surprisingly, the New Zealand Rugby Almanack named him as one of their "Five Promising Players of the Year".

1951 was another big season for "Ponty" Reid. An All Black trial and another appearance for the North Island saw him win selection in the All Black team to tour Australia. On his return, he played for Waikato when they lifted the Ranfurly Shield from North Auckland, the first time the union had held the trophy.

After playing in the first Test against Australia in 1952, Reid, affected by injuries, had a quiet season in 1953. The next year he was back to his best, being chosen by the Rugby Almanack as one of the Five Players of the Year for 1954.

He was given an All Black trial in 1956 and then led Waikato to their historic win over South Africa in the opening match of the 1956 Springbok tour.

Canterbury's Pat Vincent was halfback in the first two Tests against the South Africans, but "Ponty" Reid was called in after the Springboks won the second. He performed with distinction in the final two internationals, both won by New Zealand to seal the first-ever series win over South Africa.

Reid captained the All Blacks on their unbeaten tour of Australia in 1957 and retired from first-class rugby in 1958, though continuing at club level until 1961.

A clever tactical player, "Ponty" Reid, at 1.60m (5ft 3in) and under 63kg (10 stone), was one of the shortest and lightest All Blacks ever.

Yet for much of his career, his teammate in the Waikato and later the All Black backs was Don Clarke, one of the heaviest All Black backs ever.

Profile by Bob Luxford
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Jack Walter

NPBHS Old Boy: [years]

All Black: 1925

Position: Loose Forward

Matches: 7
Tests: 0
Games: 7

Points: 12
Games: 12

Jack Walter, who gave Taranaki yeoman service as a player and as a regular captain over nine seasons, was unlucky not to gain the same sort of recognition at international level.

His only time in the All Blacks came on the 1925 tour of Australia when he played in seven of the eight matches and scored four tries. As he was only 20 years old at the time, it seemed that he had a bright future in the national side.

He was also blessed with a hardy physique at nearly 1.83m and around 82kg, a typically stout-hearted product of the Stratford club in rural Taranaki.

But it was Walter's misfortune to be a side-row or breakaway forward at a time when New Zealand rugby had considerable loose-forward depth.

Among his contemporaries were the Brownlie brothers, Northland's Bunny Finlayson, South Canterbury's Ron Stewart, the Southlander Bill Hazlett and Auckland's Rube McWilliams.

Against that competition, Walter just missed out.

Many of these players, too, notably the Brownlies, had been ruled ineligible for the 1925 tour, which was the reason why players from the second tier, like Walter, got the chance that year.

Of the side which went to Australia in 1925, indeed, only six played for the All Blacks again.

But Walter, who had played for the North Island in 1925 prior to All Black selection and had an All Black trial in 1927, continued to give his province his best. Between 1924 and 1932, he played 85 matches for Taranaki, an extraordinarily high number in those years when representative matches were not played as frequently as today.

Walter was also in the combined Taranaki-Wanganui side which, in 1925, played the touring New South Welshmen.

The pinnacle of his Taranaki career came in 1931 when he led his province to an 11–10 win over the touring Australian side.

His nephew Alan Smith, also playing out of the Stratford club, was a Taranaki representative and an All Black lock from 1967–70.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Handley Brown

NPBHS Old Boy: [years]

All Black: 1924–1926

Position: Centre three-quarter

Matches: 20
Tests: 0
Games: 20

Points: 35
Games: 35

Handley Brown was a member of a notable Taranaki rugby family. His younger brother by six years, Henry, was a wing in the 1935–36 All Blacks to Britain Invincibles, and his son Ross was a leading All Black back, either as a first five-eighth or in the midfield, from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s. Ross was also a mainstay in two major Ranfurly Shield tenures for Taranaki.

Though considerably more significant than the career of Henry, who appears to have been a lucky All Black selection, Handley's exploits were a little more modest than those of his illustrious son.

But even if he did not quite fulfil his early promise, Handley Brown still had some fine achievements, including captaining the Taranaki provincial team.

An outstanding centre while attending New Plymouth Boys High School, Brown was first chosen for Taranaki in 1923 while still a schoolboy. In 1924 he was one of three teenagers chosen in what proved to be a landmark year in All Black rugby. The other 19-year-olds in 1924 were George Nepia and Lui Paewai from Hawke's Bay.

Brown made the preliminary tour of Australia, making three appearances against New South Wales, and then, with Nepia and Paewai, made the major tour of Britain and France. Brown, however, met with only modest success with the Invincibles.

He played only a dozen matches in Britain and, towards the end of the tour, missed seven matches in a row, presumably because of injury. He was not included in any of the international line-ups and at centre faced immense competition for a starting place from Bert Cooke and Fred Lucas. But he had some useful performances, finishing the year with eight tries for the All Blacks, including a double against Swansea.

Brown regained his place in the All Blacks for the 1926 tour of Australia when Lucas was a late withdrawal. He played only twice, both occasions against New South Wales, at fullback and then at centre.

Brown was in good form in 1927 but, after appearing in the trials, missed selection for the All Black side to tour South Africa in 1928. He continued to play well for Taranaki, one of the last of his 49 games for the province being in 1930 against the touring British Isles side.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

Leighton Price

NPBHS Old Boy

Māori All Black: 2016

Position: Lock

Leighton Price is a proud NPBHS Old Boy who went on to represent Taranaki and the Māori All Blacks at the highest level. A strong and physical lock, Price also represented Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty during his provincial career.

In 2016, he was selected for the Māori All Blacks for their end-of-year tour of the Northern Hemisphere. Affiliated to Ngāti Maniapoto, Price was proud to represent his Māori heritage on the international stage.

Price has maintained a strong connection with New Plymouth Boys’ High School and rugby, continuing to contribute to the school community through his role at Hatherly House.

Clint Newland

NPBHS Old Boy:

Māori All Black: 2008

Position: Prop

Clint Newland was born in Dannevirke and attended New Plymouth Boys’ High School as a boarder before beginning a long and successful professional rugby career.

He made his provincial debut for Hawke’s Bay in 1999 and went on to represent the NZ Divisional XV from 2002 to 2005. In 2008, Newland earned selection for the Highlanders in Super Rugby and made his debut for the Māori All Blacks, although a shoulder injury cut his campaign short.

Newland later took his rugby overseas, representing Leinster in Ireland and the Eastern Province Kings in South Africa. He made 32 appearances for the Kings across two seasons and also represented the South African Kings at the 2011 IRB Nations Cup.

A powerful front-row forward, Newland's career took him from Taranaki and Hawke's Bay to Super Rugby and professional rugby in Europe and South Africa.

Bryce B. Robins

NPBHS Old Boy

Māori All Black: 2003

Japan International: 2007

Position: Centre

Bryce B. Robins is a New Zealand-born rugby player who enjoyed an international career with Japan after representing the Māori All Blacks and the Hurricanes.

A talented midfielder, Robins played for the Hurricanes in 2002 and 2003 before being selected for the Māori All Blacks in 2003. He played against Tonga, England and Canada, scoring a try in his sole start at second five-eighth against the Canadian All Stars.

Robins later represented Japan, making his international debut against Korea in 2007. He was subsequently selected in Japan's squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Robins is also part of a notable Taranaki rugby family. His father, Bryce Robins, was an NPBHS Old Boy and 1985 All Black who toured Argentina after initially being selected for the aborted South African tour.