Ben Couch career gets top billing

The New Zealand Rugby Museum's Personality of the Month for March in 1946-49 is All Black Ben Couch of Wairarapa, whose career will be highlighted in a month-long display at the museum's headquarters in Cuba street, Palmerston North.
Though he was always identified with Wairarapa, both in rugby and his distinguished life outside the game, Ben Couch hailed from Canterbury's Bank Peninsula and attended Christchurch Technical School where he was in the first XV from 1940-42. He moved to Wairarapa as a young man in the mid-1940's.
Couch had his first match for Wairarapa as a 20-year-old in 1945.He played on the wing then but for most of his career he was a five-eighths
Although not tall at about 1.73m Couch was sturdily built and won renown for his strong, physical presence and his excellent handling skills.
Between 1945 and 1954 Couch played 55 matches for Wairarapa, the highlight of his provincial career coming in 1950 when Wairarapa beat Canterbury 3-0 in a Ranfurly Shield challenge.
He captained the combined Wairarapa-Bush team which played the 1949 Wallabies and was in the combined side against the Lions a year later, scoring a try in the 13-27 loss. He also appeared for the same combination in 1946 at centre against the NZEF "Kiwis" on their short homecoming tour.
Couch played for the North Island in 1947 and in two All Black trials before being selected in the national side to tour Australia.There he played in five matches including the first test.
Because of his Maori ancestry Couch was one of several fine backs ruled out of the tour of South Africa in 1949. others including the Smith brothers, Johnny and Peter, and Vince Bevan.
Instead he stayed behind to appear in the two Bledisloe Cup matches against the touring Wallabies, which were given official test status despite the South African tour going on at the same time.
Couch appeared in 20 matches for New Zealand Maori between 1948 and 1950, making tours of Fiji (1948) and Australia (1949).He was a reserve for their game against the Lions in 1950.
After stepping down from a rugby career which saw him play 92 first-class matches Couch maintained a close contact with the game as a coach and administrator. He was selector and coach of Wairarapa rep sides (1954 and 1962-64) and both chairman and president of their union.
Coach served as Maori board nominee on the NZRFU from 1972 to 1979 and in 1973 he was manager of the New Zealand Maori side which toured the Pacific Islands.
A shearing contractor and farmer, Ben Couch took a keen interest in church and political affairs. He became MP for Wairarapa in 1975 and served the electorate until 1984.
In the National government of Rob Muldoon, Couch held several cabinet posts, including Maori Affairs, Postmaster-General and Minister of Police.