A life of rugby for our Auckland legend

Media Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3 June 2011
A life of rugby for our Auckland legend

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 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. Bryan Williams has been selected as Auckland’s Rugby Legend.

It would be hard to think of anyone who made a more monumental contribution to New Zealand and world rugby than Bryan Williams, whose involvement and service to the game has been virtually life-long and has covered all aspects.

As a player Bryan rates as one of the greatest wings produced by New Zealand. And when he retired after a long career he devoted himself to coaching, achieving remarkable results firstly with Auckland and then with Manu Samoa.

Originally a schoolboy league player, Bryan first showed his extraordinary talents as a rugby player while attending Auckland's Mt Albert Grammar School. In his first class debut in 1968 he scored four tries and kicked two conversions.

Still only 18, Bryan made the Auckland A side in 1969 and that season playing mainly at centre, began to show the pace, power and prodigious sidestep which in 1970 catapulted him into the All Blacks for the 1970 tour of South Africa.

In South Africa Bryan was a sensation, scoring 14 tries in his 13 appearances and in the international series he scored in each of the first and fourth test.

Bryan was always a much respected international and opposing sides feared his strength of running and his physique of 1.78m and weighing in at more than 82kg.

Bryan toured with the All Blacks to Australia, Fiji, Ireland, Wales, England, and France. In all, Bryan played for the All Blacks 113 times and in his 38 tests scored nine tries. In his complete rugby career of 269 first class games Bryan scored 825 points, of which 137 were tries.
Bryan said his proudest rugby achievement was “making the All Blacks at 19, a lifelong dream for him.” When asked if he could give one piece of advice to young people of New Zealand Bryans said “have dreams, set goals, and work hard to realize them.”

After professional rugby, Bryan devoted himself to coaching. He has been involved in coaching with Ponsonby, Auckland. In 2000-01 Bryan was the assistant coach with the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and in recent years he has coached Auckland development sides and been heavily involved with the administration of the Ponsonby club, of which he is a life member.
In 2011 Bryan was appointed the President of the New Zealand Rugby Union. When asked what he thought Rugby World Cup 2011 meant to New Zealand, Bryan said “it is a wonderful opportunity for rugby, but also for New Zealand, a chance for us to showcase what New Zealand has to offer in tourism, in business and many other facets.”
ends

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