1
Former All Blacks star Justin Marshall offers his new beer to New Zealand's essential workers
All Blacks great Justin Marshall has been working on a “secret” project while in lockdown and is keen on sharing it with New Zealand’s essential workers.
ADVERTISEMENT
Like many New Zealanders, Marshall, who currently works as a rugby commentator with Sky Sports, has been in an uncertain position with his job – in his case, due to the sporting shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
But in the meantime, he’s taken the opportunity to hunker down in his garage to brew his own beer, which he has named after his famous commentary call “Boomfa”.
Marshall, along with his business partner Aaron O’Donnell, registered the trademark “Boomfa” early last year, with O’Donnell suggesting the beer would be mainstream and not craft.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB‘s Simon Barnett and Phil Gifford, Marshall said apart from occasionally trying to stay fit by going for runs during lockdown, he’s been working on getting his beer brand up and running.
“I’ve been down in my garage … and shirking my exercise a little bit to brew some beer,” he said.
“I feel a little guilty because there’s people out there getting fit and I’m actually downstairs [brewing beer]. It’s been a good opportunity, in conjunction with WilliamsWarn, a great brewery outfit, to get my Boomfa beer up and running. And I’ve been secretly down there with my head lamp at night.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The 46-year-old former halfback says he wants to share his freshly brewed beer with some of the country’s essential workers who have been out on the frontlines keeping New Zealand safe and functioning.
He has asked people to hit him up on social media so he can share some joy and a small token of appreciation.
“What I wanted to do is – and I’m not sure how I’m going to do it, but I’m going to be really determined in the way that I go about it – brew a beer and to somehow get it out and distribute it to all the essential workers out there.
“The people out there that have been at the coalface, just to say thanks to them for what they’re doing for the country. I’d like to brew some beers to get out to them in some form of way to appreciate what they’re doing.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Marshall, who played a then-record 81 tests for the All Blacks at No 9, also said the absence of sport has allowed him to reminisce a little bit about his career and watch old games of footy.
He opened up about his close relationship with one of his greatest rivals, former Wallaby halfback George Gregan, who he says has always been a “good mate” off the field.
“George is obviously a number 9, so he’s a competitor and he’s competitive as well in everything that he does. That didn’t exclude other sports like the golf course.
“[We] had a rivalry on the field. There’s plenty of instances that you’ll see in games where I’m pushing and shoving him, trying to unseal him. And he’s doing the same to me, usually verbally which was quite successful at times with his means of attack. But we were always very much under the understanding that it never went off the field.
“So right from when we played against each other in the New Zealand Under-19s right through to test matches for our country, we always grabbed a beer with each other, visited each other’s houses when we were in respective cities. And we’ve continued that friendship.
“In fact, I saw him in February in Sydney. So that friendship has always been there and it’s been a big part of why I believe rugby is one of the great games, simply because no matter who you play against, everybody feels the same way and gets on. So he’s a good mate of mine believe it or not.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments