Dane Coles in action for Paraparaumu reserves at the weekend. Photo / Tyler McKnight
Dane Coles in action for Paraparaumu reserves at the weekend. Photo / Tyler McKnight
Word spread quickly that Dane Coles was warming up with the Paraparaumu team for a game of senior reserve grade club rugby in Levin at the weekend.
Playford Park might be a far cry from some of the packed international stadiums he has played in but a decent crowd turned up to see a former All Black in action - a rare sight in club rugby these days.
For Coles, 37, it was a rare chance to play for his childhood club and with mates he hadn’t played with since his schooldays at Paraparaumu College more than 20 years ago.
He played No 8 for most of the game and scored four tries in the 42-39 loss to Levin Athletic, turning up at hooker late in the game.
A decent crowd turned out at Playford Park in Levin when news spread that former All Black Dane Coles was playing a reserve grade club game for Paraparaumu.
Afterwards, he shared a beer and tucked into an after-match spread of beef stew and bread.
“I loved it. It was so cool. Afterwards, there was a real community feel with kids everywhere, the changing rooms and then a feed and a couple of beers ... some of the things you miss,” he said.
“It was a really good game of footy, too. Rugby is rugby. I was feeling it a bit the next day.”
Former All Black Dane Coles started at No 8 before moving into hooker towards the end of the game.
Coles, who played 90 test matches for the All Blacks and 141 Super Rugby games for the Hurricanes, said it was definitely his last game of rugby.
With three young sons aged 9, 7, and 4 playing rugby, he wanted to put energy and time into them and was considering coaching in the future.
“Ī'm done. But I’m keen to give back in any way I can and put energy into the kids,” he said.
Former All Black Dane Coles found himself in the role of peacemaker when a little skirmish broke out at Playford Park in the match between Athletic and Paraparaumu.
Coles played for Paraparaumu as a youngster, following his father Steve to senior training during the week and helping with the scoreboard and the goal-post pads at the weekends.
He hadn’t worn a blue and yellow jersey since those junior days. So when he arrived home from playing for Kubota Spears in Japan two weeks ago, and after getting an international clearance, the opportunity to tick off a bucket-list item knocked.
Paraparaumu club captain Hayden Beissel said Coles rocked up to training on Thursday night before the game.
Dane Coles shares a laugh with the touch judge at Playford Park.
“Some of the guys in the team were mates he played with when he was younger but for the young guys in the team, they grew up watching him play on TV,” he said.
“It’s something they won’t forget.”
Athletic club captain Danny Bruhn said anyone who took the field would remember the game for as long as they lived.
“It’s not every day you get to play against an All Black. The blokes that played won’t forget it and they’ll probably tell their grandchildren,” he said.
Athletic won the entertaining match against Paraparaumu 42-39.
Having an All Black - current or former - play club rugby in the province was a rarity.
The last All Black to play senior club rugby for Paraparaumu was Mark Shaw in the 1970s, and before that Gary Knight and Joe Karam. Christian Cullen and Hurricane Brayden Iose both played junior rugby for Paraparaumu.
Bruhn said Coles spoke well at the after-match function about what it meant to create more rugby memories and play with childhood friends, and to see his kids running around.
“What a champion bloke,” he said.
Former All Black Dane Coles in a halftime talk with the Paraparaumu reserve grade rugby team at Playford Park in Levin.
The entertaining game saw plenty of tries scored. Paraparaumu scored seven tries to Athletic’s six. In the end, it was the boots of Athletic winger Konna O’Brien that proved the difference, slotting six conversions.
Alas, it was the end of the season for Paraparaumu in the Bill Muir reserve grade competition, finishing just outside the top four with the semifinals to be held this weekend.
Top qualifiers in reserve grade were Rahui and Foxton, Athletic and Levin College Old Boys, who meet in respective quarter-finals this weekend.
SCOREBOARD: Levin Athletic 42 (I Ulutoa, D Everitt, M Toremana, T Ulutoa, H Woodley, P Taisia tries, B O’Brien 6 con) Paraparaumu 39 (D Coles 4, J McIntyre, K Warren, J Keating tries, C Turner 2 con).
