Sir Colin Meads in front of the statue of himself in Te Kuiti in June. Photo / Getty Images
Every country needs a hero. In Sir Colin Meads, this country had a genuine hero who fitted his mould.
New Zealand is not a country of ranters and show-offs. It's all about getting on with the job with a minimum of fuss.
Sir Colin, who died yesterday aged 81, epitomised this.
He was honest, hard-working, humble, and most of all, a good bloke.
Embodiment of an All Black
Paul Dwyer, of Dunedin, a member of the Colin Meads fan club, tells a poignant story about the man that he was.
"We were out in Dunedin one night after a test and we came to a pub. There was a big line outside and I said: 'We can get in here without queuing up'."
"But Colin said: 'No. There is a line and I'll stand in the line'. So he just went and stood in the line. People round him started clapping. But that's the sort of bloke Colin was."
The 55-test forward, who played first-class rugby for more than 15 years, was an All Black great of the highest order. But he transcended the sport and became more famous after he retired.
Sir Colin would have been to at least half the rugby clubs in New Zealand - usually wearing his King Country blazer, and quietly drinking a beer or two.
He took time for everyone and never turned down an autograph request. He never took money for his countless public appearances and would have raised many millions of dollars for charities.
His pet charity was IHC and he also supported the Rugby Foundation - the charity set up to support injured rugby players.
Ida Valley author Brian Turner collaborated with Sir Colin for his second autobiography, Meads, in the early 2000s.
Turner yesterday said Sir Colin was a unassuming guy with a droll sense of humour.
"He was also sharp. But I felt he thought it was best not to let that angle out too much ... but I was thinking this guy did not come down in the last shower.
"I don't think you would find anyone who had a bad word to say about him. Not that he was seeking that at all."
That was the man's nature though. He mastered the art of being an ordinary bloke despite being extraordinary in so many ways.
Rugby broadcaster Paul Allison, of Cromwell, became friends with Sir Colin. He said he was a well-loved New Zealander and entertaining storyteller.
"Colin would be one of the most genuine and obliging blokes you would ever meet. People would stop him almost everywhere he went and he always had time to have a yarn."
"He stayed at home on the night of the Christchurch earthquake in September 2010 and ended up staying for an extra night because the airports were closed. He spent most of the next day helping clean up from a fundraising function the night before at which he had been the special guest."
- The Otago Daily Times
"If you’re loyal to them, they will be loyal to you."