KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
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A MESSAGE FROM KEITH QUINN: Welcome to my world of collecting yarns, favourite stories and pictures from a lifetime of broadcasting and reporting the great game of rugby union. This photo, sent to me after the final of the 1987 Rugby World Cup, symbolises the 'Pot of Gold' opportunities the game has offered me. In my working life I've done nothing else but report sport. So please - COME IN AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND MY MEMORIES. Your comments please to kqrugby@hotmail.co.nz
The programme for the 2015 Rugby World Cup final between All Blacks and Wallabies. New Zealand won 34-17.
Quinn’sPost
From the 2015 Rugby World Cup. My reports on the early games.
9 November 2015
I travelled to the eighth Rugby World Cup in Great Britain as an Ambassador for Williment Sport Travel of Wellington, New Zealand; I made it to into Cardiff at the quarter-final stage. Before that I posted a regular Rugby World Cup blog. Read more »
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Archives
The Best Rugby Quiz of 2014. Thanks Planet Rugby!
27 December 2014
RIP Jack Hazlett 1966-67 All Black
21 December 2014
Match Review; New Zealand v Scotland Murrayfield 2014
15 November 2014
Headlines
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Keith Murdoch - One More Story on the Mysterious Life and Lonely Death of the Banished All Black.
*This Story by Keith Quinn for keithquinnrugby.com:* The discussion of the end of All Black Keith Murdoch's life has recently become been a cheerless one to absorb. The beginnings of the demise of the tough prop forward's playing career is very well known. Read more »
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Colin Meads - At his last public outing.
The small New Zealand town of Te Kuiti, in the aptly-named King Country turned out in June 2017 for what was to be the last public outing for the districts legendary rugby star, the great Sir Colin Meads. I was honoured to be MC for the day and later wrote this story for 'NZTODAY.' Read more »
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Colin Meads - Where does he sit among the All-Time All Blacks? One Man's View.
I watched a lot of Colin Meads playing on the rugby field. I am of the age that can say that. Shamelessly I can say I loved the way Colin Meads changed the game for previously lumbering second row forwards, which I was myself, albeit at a club level only. Meads showed us all another way to play. Read more »
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RIP to an Old Lion - A true or tall story?
This story first appeared in the excellent *NZToday* Magazine's June-July edition. The author knows it is true as he remembers it. Some family members doubt his recall. Read more »
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So you want to be a rugby commentator? Try these tongue twisters first and see how you go!
One of the first things people say to any rugby commentator is - 'Just how DO you pronounce all those names from all the different countries?' Read more »
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2016 - Summary of All Blacks Test Teams and Scoring
All of the team lists, playing and scoring records of the 14 tests played by the 2016 All Blacks are summarised here; All your questions answered (in three parts). Read more »
Quotes
John Singleton - Australian media tycoon
'The worst thing you can say about any bloke is that he doesn't drink, smoke or go to the races.'
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Every day there is Rugby History 14 January 1945
Click to show Born this day; A Southlander who played his last 4 games for the ABs in 4 positions.
Bob Barber ended his time with the All Blacks in Australia and Fiji; in his last four starting games he was no.8, flanker, lock and prop.
A-Z of Rugby
Click to show GALLAGHER, JOHN
GALLAGHER, JOHN
Wellington and New Zealand
18 internationals for N. Zealand 1987–89
One of the rugby union world's most brilliant attacking fullbacks of the 1980s but who at the peak of his rugby union powers, was lost to rugby league.
John Gallagher was a young fullback living in London who decided to accept an offer of a rugby-playing holiday in Wellington, New Zealand in 1984. By 1986 his life had changed. He had decided to stay in New Zealand, he had embarked on a career with the police force, and late in the year he was included with the New Zealand All Blacks for their tour to France. He was very much a second-stringer on that tour, playing twice at centre.
It was a different matter in 1987. Given the confidence of being chosen as the number one fullback for the first Rugby World Cup, Gallagher’s speed and brilliant intrusions from fullback became a powerful weapon in the All Black armoury.
In his second test match, against Fiji at Christchurch, Gallagher scorched in for four tries (equalling the then New Zealand record for one test match) and helped make many more as the All Blacks raced out to a 74–13 win.
Gallagher played five of the All Blacks’ games at the World Cup, including the final, and was seen as one of the tournament’s most brilliant players. That kind of form followed him through 1988 and 1989, on four other All Black tours.
In May 1990, Gallagher, by then firmly ensconced as one of the country’s most popular sporting heroes, suddenly announced that he was heading for rugby league. The news sent shock waves through New Zealand rugby circles. There was at first disbelief and a little scorn from some, although soon emotions quietened and sensible Kiwis wished him luck in his new career.
The departure of Gallagher to rugby league, along with fellow All Blacks Frano Botica, John Schuster and Matthew Ridge, awakened New Zealanders to the realisation that their national game was not the only one on the sporting horizon. The departure of ‘Kipper’ Gallagher also left an extremely hard-to-fill gap in the All Black backline. No player would be quite like the flying redhead from the Oriental-Rongotai club in Wellington.
Gallagher signed with the Leeds rugby league club after 18 tests for the All Blacks. He scored 13 tries in tests, and in one game, in Japan in 1987, he scored 30 points. His signing fee was reported to be $NZ1.3 million (at the time about £420,000), well in excess of the previous reported world record fee.
10 Questions to well known sporting people
Today's KQ Rugby Quiz
Who were the players who first took successfully kicked test match penalties past the 6,7,8, and 9 World Record Marks?
What do you think?
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