NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Rugby: 'One of the greats' does it his way

Wynne Gray
By Wynne Gray
NZ Herald·
24 May, 2013 05:30 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Since his test debut in 2002, Ali Williams made his mark in 77 tests with his athletic prowess and tough attitude, but persistent injury often kept him on the All Blacks bench. Photo / Greg Bowker

Since his test debut in 2002, Ali Williams made his mark in 77 tests with his athletic prowess and tough attitude, but persistent injury often kept him on the All Blacks bench. Photo / Greg Bowker

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Big lock with a mouth to match gets emotional as he calls time on a long career two tests short of record

Whatever you think of Ali Williams, his decision to retire from test rugby was spirited.

He wanted to stay but various thoughts kept niggling at him, like the array of facial, knee, ankle and foot injuries which have impinged on much of his work since 2009.

Something told him his time in the black jersey was up; conversations with his father confirmed those feelings. Some time during the recent national training camp, the deed was done.

Williams could have chased Ian Jones' record 79 tests but called time two short.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I believe in my gut the time is right now. I have had a pretty special time in the jersey but there comes a time when you need to step out and I personally believe this is the right time," he said yesterday.

It got more difficult for the 32-year-old lock yesterday as questions about his life and times at the top brought tears among his emotional replies.

Williams had a decade in test rugby in a remarkable switch from the soccer career he pursued until late at high school.

He brought an athletic prowess and tough mental attitude although his body did not always cooperate with the strains of international rugby.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He retired on his terms, unlike others who fade away or take up offshore contracts.

Sometimes you wondered what air Williams was breathing but there was rarely a dull moment when he was around. He could go too far, as he did during a news conference at the 2011 World Cup, but he was usually good copy.

Assured enough, also, to confront members of the media he thought had done him or his team a disservice. He didn't go for a strength in numbers routine; he would take you on alone.

Mind you, at 2.02m he could deliver a menacing glare from his lofty gaze.

Discover more

Super Rugby

Rugby: Stakes high as top two do battle

23 May 05:30 PM
Sport|rugby

Rugby: Maori All Blacks tour announced

23 May 07:24 PM
All Blacks

Rugby: Williams retires from All Blacks

23 May 08:13 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: Joseph rings the changes

24 May 01:17 AM

He had been on borrowed All Black time as his body slowed and limbs refused to work as well as they once had, but a lack of other quality locks and Williams' ability to work on the nuances of the game helped him remain in an extended squad.

His knee is hampered by a lack of cartilage but his leadership has been a significant part of the Blues resurgence.

As coach John Kirwan talked about that, and his belief Williams should be classified as an All Black great, the lock started to choke up.

He is an emotional bloke, but had the sense and perspective to know this was the time to go.

"You move on, you've got to, you can't hold on to things or dwell on them, you have to keep evolving, this is what I'm doing," he said.

Williams' strongest memory of his debut test against England at Twickenham in 2002 was fretting about the haka.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It scared the life out of him but he got the actions sorted after some "quality time" in front of the mirror.

The first test against the Lions in 2005 had been one of his strongest but there were others, where his work went unnoticed by the public and the media, which had given him equal satisfaction.

He was having plenty of fun at the Blues and wanted to have another campaign. He wanted them to succeed and to give them all his attention. That had entered his thoughts about All Black retirement, but it was just part of his decision, there were many factors.

He'd watched the All Blacks many times because of his injuries so spectating would not be a novelty.

"Whilst he's been a great player he's also been a good leader and to make a decision to walk away from it when he had a fairly good idea he would have been picked [for the June test series], is a courageous one," All Black coach Steve Hansen said.

He was painted as a funnyman and joker but the real Williams was someone who cared about his rugby mates and the teams he played for.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Once you get past all the bullshit and the chatter you get the real bloke and the real bloke is a pretty special fella. He keeps you honest, which is important for a coach," said Hansen.

A replacement lock would be called in to the next national training camp at Mt Maunganui tomorrow.

"As an ex-All Black, I'm really proud to be sitting next to [Williams] and calling him a great," Blues coach John Kirwan said.

"When he's an old bugger like us sitting here, he will look back and be incredibly proud of what he's done in that jersey. I'm probably the happiest man here because I get to profit.

"The greatest attribute Ali Williams has is he's prepared to look in the mirror, take on advice and change, and that's pretty hard for all of us to do."

Ali Williams

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Age: 32

Height: 2.02m

Weight: 118kg

Provincial: 35 games

Super 15: 97 (Blues) 15 Crusaders

All Blacks: 77 tests and one game

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Black Sox fall short of eighth world title

Motorsport

Kiwi driver Van Gisbergen dominates with third win of the Nascar season

Sport

'I can't believe it': Maxwell's thrilling comeback at MTB World Cup


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Black Sox fall short of eighth world title
Sport

Black Sox fall short of eighth world title

The Black Sox went down 3-0 in the final.

13 Jul 11:52 PM
Kiwi driver Van Gisbergen dominates with third win of the Nascar season
Motorsport

Kiwi driver Van Gisbergen dominates with third win of the Nascar season

13 Jul 11:13 PM
'I can't believe it': Maxwell's thrilling comeback at MTB World Cup
Sport

'I can't believe it': Maxwell's thrilling comeback at MTB World Cup

13 Jul 10:43 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP