UPDATED: 7:05am – On the field, Colin Meads was known as a tough man. Off the field, he was gracious, and stoic. He believed in loyalty. He believed in being humble, not celebrating your own success. Those values came home with him, his children say.
The kids have always shared their dad with the country. The All Black job was tough on a young family; he could be on tour for three months or more. Later it was rugby commitments, speaking at functions, fundraising for charity.
“He never said no to anyone around the country that rang up. It didn’t matter what – he said yes,” his youngest child Shelley Mitchell said. “He did believe in contributing back to NZ after rugby … He was very proud of being a New Zealander.”
For a long time the kids didn’t know how famous their father was; they just knew he played rugby.
“My memories are just of him as a farmer and as Dad – a typical dad who, after he’s been out on the farm, comes home from work at the end of the day, sits with us around the table and has dinner,” daughter Shelley said. “As far as we were concerned, Dad wasn’t famous, he just played rugby.”
Like most of his generation he was a hands-off parent – the day-to-day care was the job of his wife Verna. But he passed on his values. He taught the kids to work hard, and put them to work on the farm in their spare time.
“He was to the point. Straight up. He could be un-PC as well – that was very embarrassing,” Shelley said. “It would just come out, and I would be there cringing.”
The kids were taught to be tough, she said. “You weren’t allowed to be a softie, especially the boys.” Rugby games in particular weren’t played for participation. “You played for enjoyment but always to win.”
Kelly, Meads’ oldest son, remembers playing against his dad, aged about 15. Kelly, also a lock and 6’6″ (198cm), stole the ball off his dad in a lineout. Meads wasn’t too happy about that.
But off the field, Meads was gracious. “You’d see a lot of old photos of him in team changing rooms, shaking hands with guys, having a beer with them,” Kelly said.
Both say Meads mellowed in his old age, and cherished his grandchildren – he was far softer on them than his own kids. He also developed a passion for gardening, and after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016 he spent almost all his time there, tending the vege patch and fussing over his prized tulips – they’re just starting to flower. “He was determined to fight the cancer. He often said he was going to beat the bastard,” Shelley says.
“It’s been hard to see the deterioration in Dad. He became more frail, and he became very frustrated.” The last event Sir Colin attended was the unveiling of his statue. The family were thrilled he made it.
“That’s Dad’s inner fight. He wanted to honour the people that had put all the work in,” Shelley said. “He was stoic to the end – he was still fighting.”
His passing was “peaceful”, Shelley said. Their mum, Lady Verna, is “doing … as well as can be expected”.
The mood in Te Kuiti remained sombre yesterday.
At Te Kuiti Primary School – where Meads attended – the flag flew at half mast. A korowai was tied around the shoulders of Meads’ statue. A school group performed a haka. A steady trickle of people visited through the day, laying flowers, taking selfies. Local florist The Flower Fairy brought in an extra staff member to cope with demand.
Meads’ funeral will be held on Monday in Te Kuiti, at the Les Munro Centre. Some 4000 people are expected to descend on the town. The accolades since his death have been “amazing”, Shelley said.”It warms the heart to know that so many people thought highly of him. He shared a lot with the public of NZ and it is really touching that they’re sharing their stories about him and honouring him.”
-NewstalkZB
