All Blacks great Andy Haden died in Auckland on Wednesday after a long illness. He was 69.
A spokesperson for Haden’s family said the former lock died at around 7am on Wednesday at his home surrounded by his family.
His funeral will be at 1.30pm on Monday at Eden Park, where he played so many memorable matches for Auckland and the All Blacks.
Haden played 117 matches, including 41 tests, for the All Blacks in a long and distinguished international rugby career from 1972 to 1985.
He captained his country on eight occasions and was a controversial figure at times, on and off the field, but earned his place as a fixture in New Zealand’s second row once he finally made his test debut in 1977 against the British and Irish Lions in Wellington.
Haden had been seriously ill for a long time and was recently sent home from hospital for palliative care after his health took a major turn for the worse. He confirmed in 2003 that he had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
As well as playing more than 100 times for his country, Haden racked up more than a century of appearances for Auckland at provincial level and for Ponsonby in the club game. As a manager, he also represented supermodel Rachel Hunter early in her career.
Haden’s first appearance for the All Blacks, at the age of 21, was on the 1972 tour north against New York Metropolitan in New York, though it was five years before he would make his test debut against the touring Lions. He and Frank Oliver were fixtures in the second row for the 3-1 New Zealand series victory.
He was a central figure in the 1978 Grand Slam tour of the UK and Ireland. His “dive” from a lineout late in the 13-12 victory over Wales in Cardiff becoming a major talking point. The All Blacks were awarded a match-winning penalty, goaled by Brian McKechnie, though it was later clarified as being for an obstruction on Oliver, and not Haden’s dramatic plunge.
“They climbed over me all day, that’s why we came up with the remedy we did,” Haden explained of his much-talked-about ploy.
In a stoppage before the lineout, Haden told captain Graham Mourie he was going to dive.
It was a bitter defeat for Wales, with their legendary fullback JPR Williams claiming Haden should have been sent off “for ungentlemanly conduct”.
Haden’s final test for the All Blacks was on the 1985 tour of Argentina and he retired from the game the following year.
Always outspoken and often controversial, Haden was considered a forerunner of the professional era with his progressive approach to payments for players. He once stated that his intention was to become “rugby’s first millionaire”.
His test career was briefly halted when he was suspended while an investigation into his amateur status was undertaken, though he was subsequently cleared on the charge.
Late in his playing career, he set up a promotions and management company which became his major post-rugby undertaking. Among a host of Kiwi celebrities and sportspeople, he represented Hunter at the height of her career.
Even after his playing career, controversy remained close at hand. He had to resign as a Rugby World Cup ambassador after comments that upset Polynesians and women.
Article from Stuff: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all ... ng-illness
