John Kirwan - legend amongst legend

The following from the NZRU: Over fifty years of All Blacks rugby history involving 27 past players and a combined total of 332 test matches will be celebrated in Auckland this week in the second of four ceremonies being held in 2010 to cap former All Blacks.

In the largest of the capping ceremonies this year, 13 surviving former All Blacks will be presented with their Test cap and caps will also presented to the family members of 14 other former All Blacks, at the special event at Auckland’s SkyCity Convention Centre on Friday evening.

Those being capped this Friday span from the late Jack Dunn who debuted against Australia in Dunedin in 1946 to mid-1990s star centre Frank Bunce.  In between these two eras are many well-known rugby names including Keith Davis (1952), Waka Nathan (1962), Allan Stewart (1963), John Kirwan (1984) and Ian Jones (1990).

Between John Kirwan’s debut against France in Christchurch in June 1984, and Frank Bunce’s last Test against England in December 1997, Kirwan, Jones and Bunce collected 197 All Blacks Test appearances between them.

In a fitting tribute on the eve of the Investec Tri Nations Series opener against South Africa, All Blacks legendary fullback Don ‘The Boot’ Clarke will be acknowledged.  Clarke’s long range kicking skills contributed to the All Blacks historic first series win over the Springboks in 1956.  Clarke passed away in South Africa in 2002 and his widow Patsy Clarke will receive Don’s cap.

Some of the newly-capped players will be acknowledged again at Saturday’s Test match at Auckland’s Eden Park, forming a guard of honour to welcome the All Blacks and Springbok teams to the field.

The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) launched the capping initiative in late 2008 to formally present more than 400 former All Blacks or their families with Test caps earned in the decades following World War II.  Capping ceremonies will also be held on the eve of Investec Tri Nations Test matches in Wellington next week and Christchurch in early August.

Auckland Capping Ceremony

The following All Blacks, or their family representatives, will receive caps at the Auckland Rooms, SkyCity Convention Centre, Auckland.

Player                                    Province^                      Debut                    All Blacks v

• Jack Dunn*                Auckland                       Sept 1946                     Australia
• Arthur Hughes*         Auckland                       Sept 1949                     Australia
• Ron Bryers*              King Country                Sept 1949                     Australia
• Ronald Dobson*       Auckland                      Sept 1949                     Australia
• Jack Kelly*                  Auckland                      Sept 1949                     Australia
• Des Christian*          Auckland                      Sept 1949                     South Africa
• Nau Cherrington*     Northland                      May 1950                     British Isles
• Jack Skeen*               Auckland                       Sept 1952                     Australia
• Keith Davis                Auckland                       Sept 1952                     Australia
• Pat Walsh*            Counties-Manukau         Aug 1955                      Australia
• Don Clarke*              Waikato                          Aug 1956                      Australia
• Frank McMullen*      Auckland                        May 1957                     Australia
• Dave Gillespie*        Otago                            Sept 1958                     Australia
• Vic Yates*                 Northland                     Jul 1961                        France
• Paul Little*                Auckland                      Aug 1961                      France
• Waka Nathan            Auckland                      May 1962                      Australia
• Allan Stewart             Canterbury                  May 1963                      England
• Peter Murdoch*       Auckland                      Aug 1964                      Australia
• Ron Urlich                Auckland                      Aug 1970                     South Africa
• Colin Farrell            Auckland                      Jun 1977                       British Isles
• Dick Myers               Waikato                        Sept 1978                      Australia
• Mike McCool           Wairarapa                    Jul 1979                        Australia
• Doug Rollerson      Manawatu                   Nov 1980                       Wales
• Greg Burgess           Auckland                   Aug 1981                        South Africa
• John Kirwan           Auckland                     Jun 1984                        France
• Ian Jones                 Northland                   Jun 1990                        Scotland
• Frank Bunce         North Harbour               Apr 1992                       World XV

^ Province refers to the province the player was playing for at the time of their Test debut.

* Family members of those players who have passed away will collect the caps on their behalf.

About All Blacks Test caps

A player’s first appearance in a Test match for the All Blacks has traditionally been rewarded with a Test cap. However, along with international rugby itself, the capping tradition was interrupted by the Second World War and was not re-introduced until June 1997. In December 2008, the NZRU announced it would hold a series of events in 2009, 2010 and, if necessary, 2011, to cap more than 400 former All Blacks who did not receive their caps during that period.