logo
All Blacks great dies

All Blacks great dies

Stu Wilson in action against the South of Scotland in 1983.
Former All Blacks great Stu Wilson has died at the age of 70.
Wilson was regarded as one of the world's finest attacking players during his heyday with the All Blacks in the early 1980s, finishing his career with 19 test tries - a record for the All Blacks at the time.
The blond-haired flyer played 85 matches for New Zealand, including 34 tests, while his first-class career comprised 199 first class games, mostly built up during nine years of service on the right wing for Wellington.
He forged a lethal combination with fellow Wellington and test winger Bernie Fraser, and the pair went on to co-write a book Ebony and Ivory, which was published in 1984.
Wilson signed off on his All Blacks career a year before that, when he was captain of the tour squad that played tests against England and Scotland in the UK. He was captain in all eight matches on that tour.
He went on to become a radio and television commentator, known for injecting humour into his match analysis.
Born in Gore, Wilson was a student at Wairarapa College in Masterton before joining the Old Boys club in Wellington.
Big for a winger at the time, Wilson stood 1.83m and weighed 86kg when he first toured with the All Blacks to Argentina in 1976.
He was only the 12th man in NZ Rugby history to score more than 100 first-class tries - 104 - many of them bringing the crowd to their feet with his speed and classic outside swerve.
He was also proficient at capitalising on opposition mistakes, and made it a trademark to toe ahead a loose ball before diving on it to score.
Among his most famous displays was a hat-trick of tries against the British Isles at Eden Park in 1983. He achieved a hat-trick on the same ground against Scotland two years earlier.
His retirement in 1984 - while he was still in his prime - was sparked by controversy over the Ebony and Ivory book.
Under International Rugby Board rules, players were not allowed to accept book royalties, something Wilson believed was unfair. At the time, many players had adopted various subterfuges to get around this.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Moana Pasifika snap up blockbusting former All Black midfielder
Moana Pasifika snap up blockbusting former All Black midfielder

1News

time5 hours ago

  • 1News

Moana Pasifika snap up blockbusting former All Black midfielder

Former All Blacks midfielder Ngani Laumape has signed for Moana Pasifika for the next two Super Rugby seasons. The 32-year-old is fresh off three seasons with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers in the Japan Rugby League One competition, where he played alongside Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea. 'One of the reasons I came back was to be part of the first Moana Pasifika team to win the competition,' Laumape said. 'Obviously, there has to be a lot of hard work and a lot of things behind the scenes that we'll have to do — but why can't our culture and our people do something great in this competition? 'That's pretty inspiring and definitely motivating.' ADVERTISEMENT The powerful Laumape, who played 15 Tests for the All Blacks between 2017 and 2020, is a former New Zealand secondary schools representative who returned to rugby union after playing two seasons for the Warriors. Moana Pasifika head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga said: 'We're excited to welcome Ngani to our Moana Pasifika aiga. Ngani is a talented player who has proven himself on the international stage. From his experience in league, the All Blacks, as well as in France and in Japan, he has an open and mature outlook on the game. 'Ngani is also a great person who has done well for himself and his family, and I know he'll be able to integrate smoothly into our team environment.' The signing of Laumape, who is of Tongan descent, followed a large cleanout of Moana Pasifka's squad after they finished in seventh place, narrowly missing this season's playoffs. They now have 30 of 38 positions in their squad filled for the 2026 season.

Ngani Laumape signs with Moana Pasifika
Ngani Laumape signs with Moana Pasifika

RNZ News

time8 hours ago

  • RNZ News

Ngani Laumape signs with Moana Pasifika

Hurricanes Ngani Laumape, centre, celebrates scoring a try with team mates Ricky Riccitelli, left, and Jeff Toomaga-Allen. Photo: Photosport Moana Pasifika have secured the services of former All Black midfielder Ngani Laumape for the next two years. Laumape played 15 tests for New Zealand between 2017 and 2020, though opted to move to France after falling out of favour with selectors. The 32-year-old is fresh off three seasons with the Kobe Steelers in Japan League One, where he played alongside Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea. The announcement comes days after Moana culled its squad with the mass release of 176 players, six of whom had been with the side since it's inception. Despite the cleanout, the 2026 Moana Pasifika squad now has 30 of its 38 roster spots locked in. However, Laumape isn't heading to the North Shore to make up the numbers. "One of the reasons I came back was to be part of the first Moana Pasifika team to win the competition. Obviously there has to be a lot of hard work and a lot of things behind the scenes that we'll have to do but why can't our culture and our people do something great in this competition That's pretty inspiring and definitely motivating," he said. Head coach Fa'alogo Tana Umaga said Laumape has proven himself on the international stage. "From his experience in league, the All Blacks, as well as in France and in Japan, he has an open and mature outlook on the game. Ngani is also a great person who has done well for himself and his family, and I know he'll be able to integrate smoothly into our team environment." Ngani Laumape. Photo: PHOTOSPORT A proud Tongan from the villages of Nukuhetulu and Folaha, Laumape was born and raised in Palmerston North. He played for the Palmerston North Boys' High School First XV and for the New Zealand Schools alongside Savea and another 2025 Moana Pasifika squad member - Sione Mafile'o. In 2013 he made the switch to rugby league, debuting for the New Zealand Warriors who he made 30 appearances for across two seasons, scoring 11 tries. After his stint in league, Laumape signed with the Hurricanes for the 2016 Super Rugby season, going on to win the team's first ever Super Rugby title. In 2017 season, he finished as the competition's most prolific try-scorer with 15 to his name, and ending his stint in the capital with 49 tries across six seasons. Laumape's campaign caught the eye of All Blacks selectors, earning him his international debut in the 2017 British and Irish Lions series, stepping in to start for the suspended Sonny Bill Williams in the series decider. He will also return to play for the Manawatū Turbos in the National Provincial Championship.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store