KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
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Favourite Photos: People, places and stories from around the rugby world
From my travels I have collected many photos; had them sent to me or saved them, because, well, behind most of them there is a good story!
A picture from the day when one All Black totally shocked the conservative New Zealand radio audience!
31 December 2014
Look at the picture here of the famous day (or was it infamous?) when an All Black uttered an expletive on the air which shocked the radio audience at home - but delighted them too! Confused? View the picture then click on 'Favourite Sports Yarns' on the front page to read the full background story. You'll smile at the way we were! Read more »
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South African Rugby Sure Got Carried Away with this Picture's caption!
27 December 2014
This favourite of mine is from the 'Bizarre' file. It is from a match programme of the 1986 Rebel Cavaliers tour of South Africa. I guess the desperate and isolated South Africans when they saw Pinetree and Kirky in charge - with Foxy, Buck, the Whettons, Andy Haden, Jock Hobbs and all the other current best New Zealand players slip into their country, thought they had the 'All Blacks' on tour. But they had not! This team defied the then 'current' official NZRU and Government stance against sporting contact with Apartheid South Africa. (Silly me; I called this team the 'Cava-liars') This is now the tour that no one ever talks about. It is consigned to its dodgy place in New Zealand rugby history. Remember? This team played four full 'tests' against the Springboks who awarded their players full cap status. [One dictionary meaning of the word 'cavalier' is; offhand, indifferent and showing a lack of proper concern.] That certainly applies still. *{Now scroll down here for other favourite rugby photos I have kept over the years!]* Read more »
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This Game is nicknamed in New Zealand rugby history 'The Water Polo test.' Here you can see why!
Onto the field they come for the 'Water Polo' test; New Zealand v Scotland in Auckland 1975.
17 December 2014
What a day this was. Look at the water! It had rained so hard overnight at Eden Park the Auckland Rugby Union phoned the local radio station 1ZB and said to the public - 'even if you've got tickets - don't come.' They added, ' - the streets are flooded, the car parks are under water and the 48-hour rainstorm is not scheduled to stop!' But 45,000 fans said - No way!' They wanted to see the All Blacks play (maybe because New Zealand was wearing white jerseys?). The game went ahead and the All Blacks scored 4 converted tries for a 24-0 win. Scotland were lucky to get zero! Afterwards the All Black prop Billy Bush said with relief, 'thank goodness the referee (Peter McDavitt of Wellington) blew up any collapsed scrums quickly - someone could have drowned!' Never a truer word spoken! *(Scroll down here - and on other pages here - for more of my favourite rugby photographs)* Read more »
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Found; An old programme reminding Australia of a horror rugby day.
7 December 2014
Isn't it amazing what you sometimes find in a box of old 'stuff' at your place. This is one such piece of rugby memorabilia. Read more »
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What Would Today's Players Think of This?
4 December 2014
Close your eyes and think of the green lawns of Twickenham, or Eden Park, or Ellis Park - or anywhere in modern times where test rugby is played. You would NEVER see mud like this. All you see these days is serried lines of mown greenery. Read more »
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Fiji Rugby's famous day
23 October 2014
The things you find at home all these years later. While rummaging through some family shots I came across this picture I took from the commentary scaffold at what was then Buckhurst Park in Suva, Fiji. It shows the Fiji and British Isles teams coming onto the field before the playing of the last game of the Lions 26 match tour of New Zealand and Fiji in 1977. I think the high aspect of the shot might make it unique to Fiji rugby history. The scaffold was so rickety no photographers were allowed on it. This was the day Fiji's national team scored perhaps their most famous home victory. Fiji won 25-21. They could be rightly proud of course but it is true the Lions did not approach the fixture with true dedication. I can still recall their poolside party raging on and keeping me awake 16 hours before kickoff! Read more »
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Every day there is Rugby History 5 August 1961
Click to show All Blacks and the Wellington wind wins!
The ABs win in the Wellington wind v France!
Ships couldn't berth on this fierce stormy day but the test went ahead anyway. NZ won 5-3 and hundreds of hats and scarves disappeared forever!
A-Z of Rugby
Click to show ELLIS, JAN
ELLIS, JAN
South-West Africa and South Africa
38 internationals for Sth Africa 1965–76
Along with the tight-loose forward Frik du Preez, flanker Jan Ellis shared for many years the record for most test matches played by a South African. They played in an age when such a total was considered huge.
Ellis came from far-flung South-West Africa (now independent Namibia) where the nearest rugby club was 60 miles (100 km) away. His keenness and determination to play the game soon built into a talent that was recognised in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, the main centres of South African rugby.
Ellis made the first of his 38 test appearances for the Springboks in New Zealand in 1965. He played modestly for the first six or seven games, but then he discovered his own strength and speed and by tour’s end he was one of the most improved players in the team. Thereafter his powerful running from loose play and strong tackling made him a regular in Springbok sides.
He played many of his tests in the politically-charged atmosphere of anti-apartheid protests, but if such demonstrations worried Ellis it was never seen. His play was always of a consistently high standard.
In 1976 Ellis equalled Frik du Preez’s total of 38 internationals, but was denied the chance to beat the record when he was dropped from the Springboks team after the first test against the All Blacks.
10 Questions to well known sporting people
Today's KQ Rugby Quiz
Who was the last New Zealand Referee to control the All Blacks in an Official test match?
What do you think?
Click here to show the answer.