NPR

Grandpa wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 2:01 pm Bumped into Buck Shelford in the Saints Bar after watching Northampton in the early 90s... ended up chatting to him for 20 minutes. Seemed to have no ego about him at all. Though I remember thinking he wasn't very tall.. but was very wide... and deep...

Also in 1989 Zinzan used to be a courier and would come into the bank I was working in at the time... at least once a week... was always very friendly with everyone. Though not sure what he'd be like now. He was only an Auckland star at that time really.

Kawazaki wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 4:52 pm

Hugo wrote: Sun May 11, 2025 6:42 pm Ronseal. We've all met or heard horror stories of rugby players who are pricks so here's some positivity.

Every interview of a rugby player I've ever heard talking about Kev Mealamu says he is the nicest guy ever. I think it was Nick Evans who said that when he was a roommate of Kev he asked him if could turn the TV on as of the was a kid asking permission from his parents rather than an AB legend. Evans was thinking "You're Keven Mealamu, you can do what you want".

Rancid Mick-bait.

Slick wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 7:52 pm

OomStruisbaai wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 5:50 pm One of the nicest guys is Schalk Burger.

Just wear protective glasses

Grandpa wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 2:01 pm Bumped into Buck Shelford in the Saints Bar after watching Northampton in the early 90s... ended up chatting to him for 20 minutes. Seemed to have no ego about him at all. Though I remember thinking he wasn't very tall.. but was very wide... and deep...

Dan54 wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 8:42 pm Was at a rugby luncheon at Brisbane about 17-18 years back. Speaker was Grant Fox, after the lunch everyone retired to bar upstairs, and Aussie mates were real impressed that Foxy left the bigwigs from QRU and wandered over to our table, to start with to tell me he liked a question I had asked, but then just settled in and had a good number of beers with us, and was a bloody good arvo' He seemed a genuinely top bloke..

charltom wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 7:54 pm

Grandpa wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 2:01 pm Bumped into Buck Shelford in the Saints Bar after watching Northampton in the early 90s... ended up chatting to him for 20 minutes. Seemed to have no ego about him at all. Though I remember thinking he wasn't very tall.. but was very wide... and deep...

Also in 1989 Zinzan used to be a courier and would come into the bank I was working in at the time... at least once a week... was always very friendly with everyone. Though not sure what he'd be like now. He was only an Auckland star at that time really.

A few mates of mine were entertained well at home by Grizz Wylie and his wife in NZ in 2003. It was only after dinner that they saw a photo of him in All Blacks kit, and one with the Queen, that they realised who he might be. They think he was as friendly as he was because they were being friendly without a clue as to his identity!

Gumboot wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 11:03 pm

Grandpa wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 2:01 pm Bumped into Buck Shelford in the Saints Bar after watching Northampton in the early 90s... ended up chatting to him for 20 minutes. Seemed to have no ego about him at all. Though I remember thinking he wasn't very tall.. but was very wide... and deep...

My brother and I met Buck on a night out in the Cross in the mid-80s. That afternoon, the NZ Sevens team had spanked Australia 32-0 to win the World Sevens crown, and the team was out celebrating their terrific win. Not a bad side either, with the likes of Kirk, Botica, Zinny, Craig Green... and Shelford of course.

He was standing in the doorway of some seedy establishment - arms crossed, blocking entry to the public while his teammates enjoyed a quiet shandy or two inside. He was in good spirits, but wouldn't budge and let us in, no matter how hard we cajoled him.

In the end we decided to let him off with a stern warning, and went on our merry way.

assfly wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 11:19 am Nobody has mentioned Kolisi yet?

So humble, eloquent and considerate whenever he is being interviewed. I love having him as Bok captain, he has really raised the bar high.

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:47 pm

assfly wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 11:19 am Nobody has mentioned Kolisi yet?

So humble, eloquent and considerate whenever he is being interviewed. I love having him as Bok captain, he has really raised the bar high.

Has anyone here met him though?

Seems a top bloke.

Slick wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 4:32 pm

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:47 pm

assfly wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 11:19 am Nobody has mentioned Kolisi yet?

So humble, eloquent and considerate whenever he is being interviewed. I love having him as Bok captain, he has really raised the bar high.

Has anyone here met him though?

Seems a top bloke.

He does seem like a really top guy and has of course transcended rugby.

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:42 pm

Dan54 wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 8:42 pm Was at a rugby luncheon at Brisbane about 17-18 years back. Speaker was Grant Fox, after the lunch everyone retired to bar upstairs, and Aussie mates were real impressed that Foxy left the bigwigs from QRU and wandered over to our table, to start with to tell me he liked a question I had asked, but then just settled in and had a good number of beers with us, and was a bloody good arvo' He seemed a genuinely top bloke..

Was the question... "What made you so good?"

Dan54 wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 5:13 am

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:42 pm

Dan54 wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 8:42 pm Was at a rugby luncheon at Brisbane about 17-18 years back. Speaker was Grant Fox, after the lunch everyone retired to bar upstairs, and Aussie mates were real impressed that Foxy left the bigwigs from QRU and wandered over to our table, to start with to tell me he liked a question I had asked, but then just settled in and had a good number of beers with us, and was a bloody good arvo' He seemed a genuinely top bloke..

Was the question... "What made you so good?"

No mate it was after discussion on AB rest protocols (was first year of it), and QRU fella moaned how tough it was to sell tickets and they shouldn't do it.
I simply asked if it was NZ teams jobs to fill out stadium. and pointed out I was gold member etc, and said almost every week at games, there were supporters saying they weren't coming back next year and watch the crap they were playing. Were some so called supporters of Reds tried to get into me, Foxy simply said shut up he's entitled to ask the question. He came up to mr at the bar upstairs and said Geez Danny was a fair question although I may have put it differently.
I also asked him about cheerleaders from my area in NZ , Foxy laughed and sai well they do have great aftermatch entertainment there.

Dan54 wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 5:13 am

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:42 pm

Dan54 wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 8:42 pm Was at a rugby luncheon at Brisbane about 17-18 years back. Speaker was Grant Fox, after the lunch everyone retired to bar upstairs, and Aussie mates were real impressed that Foxy left the bigwigs from QRU and wandered over to our table, to start with to tell me he liked a question I had asked, but then just settled in and had a good number of beers with us, and was a bloody good arvo' He seemed a genuinely top bloke..

Was the question... "What made you so good?"

No mate it was after discussion on AB rest protocols (was first year of it), and QRU fella moaned how tough it was to sell tickets and they shouldn't do it.
I simply asked if it was NZ teams jobs to fill out stadium. and pointed out I was gold member etc, and said almost every week at games, there were supporters saying they weren't coming back next year and watch the crap they were playing. Were some so called supporters of Reds tried to get into me, Foxy simply said shut up he's entitled to ask the question. He came up to mr at the bar upstairs and said Geez Danny was a fair question although I may have put it differently.
I also asked him about cheerleaders from my area in NZ , Foxy laughed and sai well they do have great aftermatch entertainment there.

Slick wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 8:30 am Me and a Welsh lad.....got lucky, but that's another long story...

Slick wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 8:56 am Just watched the highlights of that game, fuck it was fun.

So much quicker, so much more space, proper rucking just let the game flow. A few knock ons etc missed but everyone just got in with it and no moaning to the ref. Just a better game to watch IMO. Also, Scottie Gibbs was some bloody player

Tichtheid wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 9:49 am

Slick wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 8:56 am Just watched the highlights of that game, fuck it was fun.

So much quicker, so much more space, proper rucking just let the game flow. A few knock ons etc missed but everyone just got in with it and no moaning to the ref. Just a better game to watch IMO. Also, Scottie Gibbs was some bloody player

I've just looked up the squad for that tour as a result of your post. Peter Wright was in the squad, he gets a fair amount of stick but I always found him to be alright, though I only spoke to him a few times. A mate played with him and knew him well and he always said that Wright was sound.

Sandstorm wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 8:33 am

Slick wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 8:30 am Me and a Welsh lad.....got lucky, but that's another long story...

What happens on tour....

Slick wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 9:56 am

Tichtheid wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 9:49 am

Slick wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 8:56 am Just watched the highlights of that game, fuck it was fun.

So much quicker, so much more space, proper rucking just let the game flow. A few knock ons etc missed but everyone just got in with it and no moaning to the ref. Just a better game to watch IMO. Also, Scottie Gibbs was some bloody player

I've just looked up the squad for that tour as a result of your post. Peter Wright was in the squad, he gets a fair amount of stick but I always found him to be alright, though I only spoke to him a few times. A mate played with him and knew him well and he always said that Wright was sound.

He spent a lot of that tour in our camper van and was always a good guy. Met him a few years later and he was very sheepish about his antics... He got a lot of stick because he basically was on the piss for 6 weeks but he actually played like a teapot.

Dan54 wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 5:13 am

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:42 pm

Dan54 wrote: Wed May 14, 2025 8:42 pm Was at a rugby luncheon at Brisbane about 17-18 years back. Speaker was Grant Fox, after the lunch everyone retired to bar upstairs, and Aussie mates were real impressed that Foxy left the bigwigs from QRU and wandered over to our table, to start with to tell me he liked a question I had asked, but then just settled in and had a good number of beers with us, and was a bloody good arvo' He seemed a genuinely top bloke..

Was the question... "What made you so good?"

No mate it was after discussion on AB rest protocols (was first year of it), and QRU fella moaned how tough it was to sell tickets and they shouldn't do it.
I simply asked if it was NZ teams jobs to fill out stadium. and pointed out I was gold member etc, and said almost every week at games, there were supporters saying they weren't coming back next year and watch the crap they were playing. Were some so called supporters of Reds tried to get into me, Foxy simply said shut up he's entitled to ask the question. He came up to mr at the bar upstairs and said Geez Danny was a fair question although I may have put it differently.
I also asked him about cheerleaders from my area in NZ , Foxy laughed and sai well they do have great aftermatch entertainment there.

Grandpa wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 11:15 am

Dan54 wrote: Mon May 19, 2025 5:13 am

Grandpa wrote: Thu May 15, 2025 3:42 pm

Was the question... "What made you so good?"

No mate it was after discussion on AB rest protocols (was first year of it), and QRU fella moaned how tough it was to sell tickets and they shouldn't do it.
I simply asked if it was NZ teams jobs to fill out stadium. and pointed out I was gold member etc, and said almost every week at games, there were supporters saying they weren't coming back next year and watch the crap they were playing. Were some so called supporters of Reds tried to get into me, Foxy simply said shut up he's entitled to ask the question. He came up to mr at the bar upstairs and said Geez Danny was a fair question although I may have put it differently.
I also asked him about cheerleaders from my area in NZ , Foxy laughed and sai well they do have great aftermatch entertainment there.

That was good of him. These Cheerleaders... were you asking if your area could have them? Or wanted his opinion on your cheerleaders?