New Zealand All Blacks.

Sana Torium "Tori" Reid (1935-37)

All Black #408

Games- 27 (9 tests)

NZ Maori Selector 1952 - 1954

MAC Games- 81

Club:MAC

Tori Reid, 1935-37 All Black lock, is notable for a number of reasons. First, his Christian names of Sana Torium, reputedly given because he was born in a sanatorium (and it is hard to think of a better reason). Second he made his first class debut at age sixteen, admittedly for East Coast where such things are not so uncommon, and played against the Lions, for Poverty Bay-Bay of Planty- East Coast, the following year, scoring a try in fact. Third, he first played for the NZ Maoris in 1931 and made his final appearance for them in 1949 at age 37. Fourth, he played a total of 157 first class games between 1929 and 1952, a record for a New Zealander at the time. He carried on at club level for some years after his retirement from big football, at one stage playing in the same team as his son. A fine Lock forward who stood 6'2'' (1.88m) and weighed about 15 stone (95kg). Tori Reid also served as a New Zealand Maori selector 1952-54.



George Nepia (1924,25,29,30)

All Black #295

Games- 46 (9tests)

Last School / Club- MAC College

All Black rugby in more than 100 years has never known a talent quite like that of George Nepia. On the 1924-25 tour of Britain, France and Canada by the team which came to be known as the "Invincibles".

Nepia hailed from the rural east coast of the North Island but was educated near Hastings at Maori Agricultural College, a Mormon school where one of the American elders taught him how to punt. He was then discovered by the great Hawke's Bay coach of the 1920s, Norman McKenzie, and in 1922 introduced to his champion provincial sides.

He also played Rugby League for New Zealand. Regarded by some as the best fullback of his time.



Lui Paewai (1923,24)

All Black #285

Games- 8 (0 tests)

Last School / Club- MAC College

Lui is genarally accepted as being the Youngest man to ever play for the All Blacks. He was only 17 yrs 36 days old when he pulled on the black jersey (1923). Also a memeber of the "Invincibles". In 1925  he was never to be selected again for the All Blacks, so at the age of 19 he was a former All Black. Althougn he didn't retire from first class rugby until the age of 22.



Sam Gemmell (1923)

All Black #265

Games- 1(0 tests)

Attended / MAC College

Sam Gemmell only played once for the All Blacks, but made an excellent contribution to Maori Rugby playing in 57 matches. He attended MAC College and was good friends with George Nepia. Sam Gemmell served in the First World War and on his return he attended Te Aute College, and from there he went on to play Rugby for Napier Marist. (But we won't hold that against him) And then on to the Black Jersey.



Hawea Mataira (1934)

All Black #402

Games-5 (1 test)

Last School- MAC College

Last Rugby Club- Nuhaka

Hawea Mataira was a vigorous loose forward who gave excellent servicethrough the 1930s to Hawke's Bay representative sides and to New Zealand Maori, for whom he played 14 times in the 1932-35-36 seasons.

After playing for New Zealand Maori against Australia in 1936 Mataira became involved in one of the saddest incidents in New Zealand's rugby history. Following the match, played in Palmerston North, he and teammate B E Rogers became involved in a dispute over possession of a rugby jersey.

A fight ensued, Rogers was knocked down and suffered a fractured skull from striking his head as he fell. He died from his injuries the following day. Mataira was charged with manslaughter but acquitted after it was found Rogers had been the aggressor and that Mataira had tried hard to avoid coming to blows.

In 1937, having played 61 first class matches, Mataira switched to league and flourished in the open, running style of that code. After a couple of impressive seasons in the Auckland competition with the City Rovers club he was chosen for the 1939-40 Kiwis' tour of Britain.



Everard Jackson (1936-38)

All Black #421

Games-11 (6 tests)

Last School- Rerekohu High

Last Rugby Club- MAC

Educated in Te Araroa Everard Jackson's early senior rugby was with the Takararangi club, but he was playing for Tolaga Bay Country in 1932 when he was first selected for East Coast. After two seasons as a Coast representative he moved to the Whakaki club in the Wairoa sub union and won selection for Hawkes Bay whom he represented from 1934 to 1940. In 1938 he played for MAC and it was during this time that he won selection for the NZ All Blacks.

Serving with the Maori Battalion in the Western Desert Captain Everard Jackson was severely wounded in 1943, losing a leg as a result. Despite several operations he endured considerable pain from the injury until his death in 1975.




Taine Randell (1995-2002)

All Black #949

Games-61 (51 tests) (22 test matches as Captain)

Last High School- Lindisfarne College, Hastings.

Last Rugby Club in Hawkes Bay - M.A.C

Through his teenage years, Taine Randell quickly came into prominance at national age group and secondary schools representations with an early debut at first class level, Taine Randell always seemed destined for rugby greatness.

There can be little argument that he achieved considerable distinction: 61 games for the All Blacks including 51 tests, Captaincy in 22 of those tests, 77 Super 12 games for the Highlanders and 83 provincial games for Otago, the highlight coming when he led the union to the NPC first division title of 1998.

Randell excelled as a rugby player, cricketer and student at Lindisfarne College in Hastings and in 1992 & followed many of the other young Hawkes Bay products to Otago, where he studied at Otago university and graduated with degrees in law and commerce. In Otago Randell quickly came under the wing of the Otago provincial coach, Gordon Hunter and he played as a 17-year old for his new province in 1992.

Although Otago had outstanding backrow players in Josh Kronfeld, Jamie Joseph and Arran Pene, Randell became a regular selection from the 1994 season, filling in either on the flank or No 8, a pattern which persisted through his career.

In the 1993-94-95 seasons, Randell appeared in 11 New Zealand Colts matches and was the captain in the last two seasons.

He was included on the All Blacks' tour of France and Italy, having just turned 21, in 1995 and followed that with selection in the next tour to South Africa in 1996.

Taine Randell was seen as an eventual test leader and this was confirned when he became captain of the midweek team in 1996, becoming, at 21 years 275 days, the youngest to be an All Black captain in the professional era.

Randell became a test player for the first time in 1997, reinforcing his position in the lineup when Michael Jones, who in the past season or two had become the first choice blindside flanker, was injured. Though not given the captaincy when Sean Fitzpatrick, through a knee injury, could not start any of the internationals on the 1997 tour of Wales, England and Ireland, Randell was still seen as the logical successor to Fitzpatrick. That eventuated in 1998 when finally Fitzies injury became too chronic for him to carry on. By now Randell had moved to No 8 to take over from another player to have retired, Zinzan Brooke.
Taines last major appearance in New Zealand was in 2003, before taking up an overseas contract. He played for New Zealand Maori All Blacks, for whom he had previously played in 1996 and 2001, in the match against the touring England side.

Taine has contributed considerably to his local grassroots club, M.A.C, coaching his sons, Lanson & Tori at junior club level & has been involved in the Premier coaching team since 2010. He is currently the M.A.C Premier forwards coach & he and wife Jo, have been very kind contibuters to community sport. Now this is what we call an All Black legend. Giving back to the whanau, time & time again.

Mauri Ora