Jim Sherratt: Rugby legend enraptured all

The enraptured French might have nicknamed him "Le Beau Grand Cheval" - the beautiful big horse - but Katikati is mourning the loss of a favourite son, 92-year-old New Zealand rugby legend Jim Sherratt.
Sherratt, who earned the moniker because of the unique galloping style of running he showed as a winger, earned fame as a devastating winger playing for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2nd NZEF) - known to all as the Kiwis.
World War II was over and, after spending six years on the battlefields of Europe, New Zealand soldiers were looking forward to going home. But 31 battle weary men, some just out of prisoner of war camps, volunteered for another tour of duty.
Organised by General Bernard Freyberg and with Major Charlie Saxton taking the duplicate role as coach and captain, the Kiwis won 29 of 33 games, including tests against England, Wales, Scotland and France.
After the tour 16 of the players became All Blacks, including icons Fred Allen and Bob Scott.
Sherratt, playing on the right wing, saw plenty of ball on tour and scored a record 23 tries.
Having played for Wellington in 1939 while studying at Victoria University, Sherratt was selected for an All Black trial to take on the touring South Africans.
The trial was subsequently abandoned when war broke out and the flying winger, who later turned to farming when he returned to New Zealand, missed his only shot at wearing the All Blacks' silver fern.
The Kiwis are a special team. There are only four rugby teams in the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame - the 1905 Originals, the 1924 Invincibles, the 1987 World Cup winners and the Kiwis. Surviving Kiwis will tell you that being part of that team meant as much to them as playing for the All Blacks.
Sherratt told the Bay of Plenty Times several years ago it wasn't an easy decision to stay in Europe when Freyberg issued his order for the rugby tour of the United Kingdom, Ireland, France.
"Jack Finlay (a major in the 25th Infantry Battalion) and I were on our way home and were waiting in Maadi in Egypt for a vessel when the idea of the tour was made public. I had been away for 4 years (Sherratt spent 18 months in Fiji before he was sent to Italy) yet we had literally a day to decide whether we would forego our chance on the next boat and turn back for Italy."
Sherratt, a modest man, was a brilliantly gifted winger. No other All Black wing touring the British Isles has scored more tries than he did. He scored two tries in the test win over France in Paris, twice in the win over England and the game's only try - a 65m effort that began when he grabbed a crossfield kick at bootlace height - in the historic 11-3 defeat of Wales, the first New Zealand team to defeat Wales at Cardiff Arms Park.
Bob Scott, describing Sherratt's performance against the French, said: "He had size, dash, tremendous courage and a bump heavy enough to knock the best tacklers flying."
Sherratt played a handful of games for Auckland in 1947-48 but was farming at Orere Point. He and wife Kath moved to Katikati in 1980. His funeral is today.