Rugby legend Sir Colin Meads will be remembered by the All Blacks tonight ahead of their test against the Wallabies. Photo / Nick Reed.
Rugby legend Sir Colin Meads will be remembered by the All Blacks tonight ahead of their test against the Wallabies. Photo / Nick Reed.
Bledisloe Cup contest and games around country will honour Meads.
The All Blacks will wear a special tribute on their jerseys and observe a minute's silence out of respect for Sir Colin Meads at tonight's Bledisloe Cup clash against the Wallabies in Dunedin.
The 81-year-old rugby legend died on Sunday after battling pancreatic cancer.
All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock, who wears the number 5 jersey previously worn by Pinetree, will gift his playing jersey from tonight's game to the Meads family.
And the Weekend Herald understands the team's jersey tribute will involve Sir Colin's All Black number - 583 - at the test kicking off at 7.35pm at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
All Black captain Kieran Read yesterday described it as a "great tribute".
"The guys will certainly treasure that. It won't necessarily win us the test match - we have to do that ourselves," he said.
The New Zealand rugby community will be honouring Sir Colin all around the country this weekend with special tributes from Heartland Championship level all the way through to the All Blacks' test.
And the Black Ferns, who are currently playing in the Women's Rugby World Cup, wore black armbands in recognition of Sir Colin during their semifinal victory over the United States on Wednesday.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen paid tribute to Sir Colin this week when he said the All Blacks locks of the 1960s were a powerful breed who inspired him to pick forwards who could also run, catch and pass.
"The great Pinetree Meads was involved in that era along with his brother [Stan Meads]... They were tough men. They came from hard-working backgrounds and they were hungry to play for New Zealand.
Colin Meads would still have been a tremendous player in today's era. Photo / Getty Images
"They were the forerunners to what we see today but they created their own legacy."
He said Sir Colin, whose trademark style was running with the ball gripped in one hand, played with passion and intent.
"He put his body on the line. He would have adapted and changed how he played but he still would have been a tremendous player in today's era."
Some of the former All Blacks who will attend Sir Colin's funeral in Te Kuiti on Monday include good friend Sir Brian Lochore, Ian Kirkpatrick, former captain Tane Norton, Bryan Williams, and the family of Kel Tremain who died in 1992.
The Meads family will be pallbearers and youngest child Shelley Mitchell will speak on behalf of the family.
The Meads family did not want to confirm yesterday who would read the eulogy at the rugby great's funeral.
Roads around the Sir Les Munro Centre in Te Kuiti will be closed as up to 4000 people including the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Governor-General, New Zealand ambassadors and New Zealand Rugby dignitaries are expected to descend on the town.
