Matthew Cooper amassed 26 games for the All Blacks, 124 for Waikato and 63 for Hawke’s Bay. He’s back in his home province this Friday to help his old school, St John’s College, raise money for its rugby foundation. The New Zealand Rugby (NZR) vice president chats to Mark Story.
Being an All Black between 1987-1994 makes you the most recent St John’s College alumnus to have played in the black jersey. Are there unique obstacles for advancement if you hail from the provinces?
Back then obviously there was no professional rugby, rugby players association (RPA), Super Rugby - we had a reasonably clean traditional model. That involved New Zealand rugby players commencing with club, then provincial, national trials and, if you were lucky enough, national recognition. The compromise or difficulty in those days in provincial New Zealand for an aspiring player was that team’s consistency of performance and division status. When these were met the ability, for example, of an Ian Kirkpatrick (Poverty Bay), a Kel Tremain (Hawke’s Bay) or former Magpie hooker Norm Hewitt to win national recognition from their home provinces was real and it was achievable.
Professional players now running on for the Mapgies seem for the most part to be happy to hang around. Is that a luxury you wish you’d had?
When you were young and driven, you were trying to succeed and compete against the best on the appropriate stage and also give yourself every opportunity to achieve your childhood dream. In my case [it was] the many hours in the early 1970s at Marewa Park kicking goals over the hockey posts, believing it was Eden Park and we [the All Blacks] had just beaten the British and Irish Lions for the 15th time. While it was a very difficult decision in 1990 leaving the Bay, my home, family and my Hawke’s Bay rugby mates, I have lived a life of no regrets and there certainly wasn’t with my move to Waikato. I agree now that if you are in the All Blacks, Hurricanes or Chiefs, Hawke’s Bay and reside in the Bay - add on the outstanding recent performances by the Magpies in recent years - the decision to stay or go now has real balance to the argument.