It’s still game on for Otago Rugby Legend

Media Release

14 April 2011

It’s still game on for Otago Rugby Legend

Otago’s Kees Meeuws has recently been named as a Rugby Legend, as part of the Living Legends project. This honours Kees’s 27-year rugby career, which is not over yet, Kees returned to the south in 2009 to reclaim his starting position as prop.

Rugby has been a lifelong passion for Kees, his earliest memories are of playing in bare feet, with fog and mud squishing between toes. At that early age, Kees wasn’t to know that his greatest dream would come true - to pull on the All Black jersey years later. He gives advice to young rugby players now to “Get active, give every positive thing in life a go. You will never know if you'll like it if you never give it a try. Experiences create character” he says.

Of Maori and Dutch descent Kees was educated at Kelston Boys High where he made the 1st XV in his Year 10 year. He went on to represent New Zealand Under 17 in 1991, under 19 in 1993 and the New Zealand Colts in 1994-95. He also made three appearances for Auckland in the 1994-95 seasons.

A move to Otago saw him appearing in a formidable 1997 Highlanders and Otago front row alongside New Zealand Under 19 team mates Carl Hoeft and Anton Oliver. After a strong season in 1998 he was called into the All Blacks for the final Tri-Nations test, his first All Blacks test.

With such diverse interests as diving, hunting and art (he was a student at the Elam School of Fine Arts intending to major in sculpture) he was a distinctive and valued team member, often highlighted on television for his strong ending to the All Black haka.

In 2002 Kees returned to Auckland, appearing in every Super 12 match for the Blues and each NPC match for Auckland. As an All Black he scored his first test try against Italy that year and followed with two against Fiji and one each against France and Wales. He scored a further four test tries in 2003 and hi 9th try against Tonga at the Rugby World Cup in Australia made him the world’s leading try scoring prop. He pushed the record to 10 in a match against the Pacific Islands in 2004.

When he left New Zealand for a contract in France at the end of the 2004 season Kees had 45 All Black appearances (42 tests), 80 Super 12 matches, 40 matches for Otago and 19 for Auckland to his credit. The totals would have been greater had it not been for a number of leg injuries.

As well as being recognised as a Rugby Legend Kees is excited about Rugby World Cup 2011. “It means that we are center stage in a world class event, as a small nation of 4 million taking on the world. We can also show the world why New Zealand is regarded as a paradise of land, water and people. Go the All Blacks...”

About Living Legends

Living Legends is a community conservation project that is coordinating 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Each planting is being run in conjunction with provincial rugby unions and will be dedicated to a regional ‘Rugby Legend’ who has been selected by the union.

These Rugby Legends are people who have made a significant contribution to rugby in New Zealand.

Living Legends will plant almost 80,000 trees nationwide in 2011, and is making a five year investment to plant a total of 150,000 trees by the end of the project in 2015.

The plantings all take place on public conservation land, and will encourage New Zealanders and overseas visitors to participate in the events.

Plantings will be held in Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Wellington, Tasman, Buller/West Coast, Mid Canterbury, Christchurch, Otago and Southland.

Living Legends is a joint venture of Project Crimson, an environmental charity with 20 years experience in community-based native restoration projects and the Tindall Foundation. We are thrilled to have the support of our major sponsors the Department of Conservation and Meridian Energy.

About the Otago Living Legends planting project

The Orokonui Scenic Reserve is adjacent to the township of Waitati, on the shore of Blueskin Bay, 20 minutes north of Dunedin.

The area is enjoyed by the local Waitati community and forms the lower part of the Orokonui catchment, the upper part of which is enclosed in the new Orokonui Ecosanctuary, providing opportunity for extension to “whole catchment” restoration concept. Restoration will provide enhanced habitat for numerous species of native birds which will migrate for feeding from within the predator-free breeding environment of the nearby ecosanctuary, adding to the wider ecological diversity of this whole landscape.

The site has cultural significance to the Ngai Tahu papatipu runanga Kati Huirapa ki Puketeraki, who are involved in the adjacent ecosanctuary.

On 25 September 2011, volunteers will plant 5000 additional native trees at this site as part of Living Legends programme of work.

Ends

© Scoop Media