Former Bay rugby stalwart and Maori All Black dies

Manu Maniapoto played more than 100 games for the Bay of Plenty Steamers. PHOTO/FILE

A stalwart of Bay of Plenty rugby and a former Maori All Black who made Rotorua his home as a young man has died.

Manukapua (Manu) Maniapoto died peacefully at his home in Rotorua this morningsurrounded by his whanau. He was 81.

Manu Maniapoto proudly wearing his Maori All Black jersey during his playing days. PHOTO/FILE

Mr Maniapoto was born in Mokai near Taupo on June 29, 1935.

He started playing senior rugby in Turangi at 11 and was the first man to play 100 matches for the Bay of Plenty.

He played club rugby for Whakarewarewa from 1955 to 1969 and played 107 games for Bay of Plenty from 1960 to 1968, scoring 10 tries and one conversion.

He also played for the New Zealand Maori from 1960 to 1966.

In 2011 Mr Maniapoto spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post about his rugby career during centenary celebrations for Bay of Plenty Rugby.

He played as a lock saying that in 1955, as a 19-year-old, he tipped the scales at 107kg and 1.95m tall.

"I never played junior rugby or anything like that. I went straight into playing senior rugby," he said.

"Our dad was coaching at the time and I used to go and watch them. I would have been only 11 or 12 I suppose and sometimes his team was short and he'd get me to play."

Mr Maniapoto moved to Rotorua to take up a forestry job. His two brothers, Huri and Jim, also played for Bay of Plenty as well as the New Zealand Maori.

He was known as an uncompromising forward who didn't take a backward step to any opponent, said his friend and Te Arawa kaumatua Alec Wilson, who played for Waikite at the time.

He said his friend would have only just missed out on the All Blacks.

"He was a very good player, one of the best big forwards around in his day.

"He had a nice temper, our players called him a gentle giant. When we played him we forced him to step back, only because we put bigger men in," Mr Wilson joked.

Mr Maniapoto's daughter Carolyn Katu, who teaches and coaches rugby at Rotorua Girls' High School, said rugby was in her family's blood.

Mr Maniapoto's son Richard also played for the Bay.

"He was the best dad imaginable. He lost his wife when I was quite young and he brought our family up, raised us all and did a tremendous job as a father," Mrs Katu said.

"He was the hangi maker, the fisherman and really generous to everyone he came across.

"We are pretty devastated, we are a very close-knit family, but we have lots of whanau support."

She said he was known as a gentle giant.

"And that's really what he was, physically imposing, but always a gentleman, we will always remember him for that."

Mr Maniapoto's body will be taken to Waitetoko Marae - on the southern shores of Lake Taupo in the settlement of Te Rangiita, just north of Turangi - later today before his tangi and burial at 11am on Thursday.