Colin Meads Bio

Colin Meads is one of the finest players in the history of the game. An all-time All Black great, his physical presence made him a standout performer for the side for almost 15 years. As a result, he was named the country’s Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards in 1999. Sadly, he passed away in 2017. Colin Meads was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Colin Meads began playing rugby at a young age and he made his first appearance for King Country in 1955, at the age of 19. Throughout his career, he went on to make 139 appearances for the province between 1955 and 1973.

However, Colin Meads is undoubtedly best known for his appearances as an All Black between 1957 and 1971. During this time, he played 55 times for his country and captained the All Blacks 11 times. During this period of his career, his strength and his high threshold for pain became legendary. In one match, he even completed the remainder of a game despite clearly fracturing his arm in a ruck. When the doctor removed his shirt and confirmed the break after the final whistle, he allegedly remarked “at least we won the bloody game”.