Rugby: Te Awamutu can claim former All Black Ant Strachan

Ant Strachan during his All Black debut against the World XV in 1992. Photo / Photosport

Te Awamutu-born former All Blacks halfback Ant Strachan has had many sporting experiences over the years, and now shares his knowledge as head of athlete and coach development at Auckland’s Dilworth School.

Although his mother was from Taihape and his father from Whanganui, Te Awamutu can still claim Strachan as one of their own.

Strachan was born in Te Awamutu in 1966 and lived there for 12 years.

Growing up on Golf Rd between Te Awamutu and Kihikihi, Strachan has many memories of his time in the area, including “charging around on the farm”.

He attended Te Awamutu Primary School, playing soccer from an early age before switching to rugby in his final years at primary.

Strachan remembers playing junior rugby for Te Awamutu Old Boys in bare feet, and also swimming for Te Awamutu at the Waikato and other interprovincial championships.

“My passion for sport began in a rural setting when at the age of seven; competitive swimming was my first passion. Rugby happened by chance,” he says.

“After playing for our Year 6 soccer team, I was asked to play for the rugby team as they were short. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Strachan says that his biggest inspiration to play rugby was his dad, as well as two halfbacks: “My brother’s best mate [former New Zealand Under 21 and Waikato rep] Dene Mullins, who played Peace Cup games for Te Awamutu, and also Sid Going.”

In 1978, the family moved to the big smoke of Auckland.

Strachan attended Auckland Normal Intermediate, and Remuera’s College Rifles became his rugby club before moving on to Auckland Grammar School.

He represented Grammar at 1st XV level in 1982 and 1983, which also saw him named in the Auckland Under 16 and Under 18 squads. From there, his passion for the sport grew.

All Black halfback Ant Strachan races away from Jason Little in the 1992 Bledisloe Cup test match. Photo / Photosport

Strachan headed south after high school, attending the University of Otago from 1984 to 1988, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in physical education.

During this time, Strachan played for the Otago University Rugby Football Club and took the field for the Otago University Centennial XV in 1986, scoring a try.

The following season, he made his National Provincial Championship debut for Otago “as a youngster under Laurie Mains”, one of his many career highlights.

Over 1987-1988 he made just six appearances for the blue and golds, as he was second string to 1986 All Black Dean Kenny, but managed to snatch an appearance against the touring Welsh side.

Concurrently, he played on eight occasions for the New Zealand Universities side attending the 1988 students’ World Cup in France.

The following season he returned to Auckland, playing one match for the province.

Strachan was proud to be a part of the legendary side’s 62-game winning streak, and went on to represent Auckland on a further eight occasions up until 1992, when he transferred across the bridge to North Harbour.

“Strachan, realising that [Jason] Hewett would be preferred to him after the All Black tour, transferred to North Harbour. In Auckland’s North Harbour game, Strachan’s superiority was patently obvious,” it states in The 1993 Rugby Almanack of New Zealand.

At Harbour he found a home, appearing for the province 52 times between 1992 and 1995, with a try tally of 14, captaining the side in his final season.

“Albeit as a stand-in for Richard Turner, it was always a highlight to captain a provincial team,” says Strachan.

The same year as his Harbour transfer saw his proudest achievement: becoming All Black #922, after his former Otago coach Mains was named as the new All Blacks coach.

“Being selected as an All Black following the final trial in Napier 1992, with all my family in attendance, was my greatest moment, especially as Dad (and all my family) had supported me over the years,” says Strachan.

The All Blacks played three matches against a World XV to mark the centenary of the New Zealand Rugby Union.

After a loss in the first match, Strachan’s moment came in the second at Athletic Park, Wellington on April 22.

The 25-year-old started in the No 9 jersey and scored a try in New Zealand’s 54-26 victory.

From here, he retained the number one spot for the final test and the further two against Ireland, playing 14 matches in 1992.

“Strachan played his way into the [All Blacks] team by showing fine form in the trials and played very well in all the test matches of 1992. He cleared the ball quickly and was adept at backing up, frequently being in the right place to take a pass and score,” states The 1993 Rugby Almanack of New Zealand.

The 1993 season saw a sole test for Strachan, a 20-18 victory over the British & Irish Lions in Christchurch.

It would be two years before he put on that black jersey again.

Recalled for the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, Strachan started in the famous 145-17 drubbing of Japan at Bloemfontein, before appearing one last time as a temporary blood bin substitute for Graeme Bachop in the final against South Africa.

As the professional competition Super 12 started in 1996, Strachan headed to Japan to play for Kaneka Corporation (Kansai A League) along with former Otago and New Zealand teammate Arran Pene.

This was the last leg of his career, and he returned to New Zealand in 2001 at the age of 35.

Without a doubt, rugby has changed massively since he retired 21 years ago.

“The current size of our rugby athletes and the very prescribed structures and systems now in place, as well as the general physicality/collisions in the game (includes speed of the modern game) [are the biggest changes],” he says.

After rugby, Strachan was involved with the Auckland Rugby Football Union and the Blues until 2021 when he first joined Dilworth as their 1st XV rugby team head coach, before moving into his current role.

For the Blues, he held the roles of professional development manager and team manager, while for Auckland he was the high-performance and academy manager, director of the Auckland Rugby International Academy and a high-performance sports consultant.

“I have spent the best part of 20 years working in high-performance sport (predominantly rugby), and during this time have held many roles including strategic management, coaching and administration,” he says.

“My passion for sport now extends through coaching and supporting my young adult children.”