Not quite All Black relishes a reunion of clubmates

Ian Grant, captain of some of Taradale's great teams of the 1970s, back for the weekend with former team and clubmates at the celebration of 125 years of Taradale rugby. Photo / Paul Taylor

Former Taradale front-rower Ian Grant came about as close to being an All Black as can be without being one.

But when he returned to Napier for the club's 125th year celebrations on Thursday-Saturday there were no regrets at not quite making it into a test match.

With this year also marking the 50th anniversary of the day he captained the Junior All Blacks against the All Blacks, one of more than 100 matches he played a hooker in first-class rugby, he said it was the days in a champion Taradale team he treasured the most, being in the team in four of the six years in a row the maroons won the Maddison Trophy from 1971 to 1976, eventually as team captain.

And among the next-best was catching-up with the former teammates during the jubilee, some of whom he hadn't seen for 30-40 years, or even more, he said on Sunday from Taupo, stopping for a break with wife Helen on their way back home to Halfmoon Bay, after what he conceded had been a "hard" weekend.

The Maroons' subs-bench and supporters as Taradale scored a win over arch rivals Napier Old Boys Marist in the jubilee weekend's Premier match. Photo / Paul Taylor

One of the most famous, 1966-1969 Hawke's Bay Magpies star centre-wing and 1963-1970 All Black Bill Davis, now 1979, was unable to be present, but Grant was able to rejoice in going over old times with such Taradale players as Phil Pratt, who'd been in the Magpies' shield-years squad, along with Ricky Nolan and Gordon Barber, who'd both come from Australia.

With players of that era now aged in the 70s, there were 14-15 available for a team photo, and the festivities which included a packed-out Thursday-night get-together, a Friday of club rugby and the jubilee dinner, and the wind-down on Saturday, including a Golden Oldies match featuring the club stalwarts the 69ers.

Guest appearances included former Magpies in All Black and New Zealand Sevens players Dallas Seymour, fellow NZ Sevens players Colin Bourke and Aaron Hamilton, and Super Rugby players and Chris Eaton and Jason Shoemark.

Former All Black Norm Hewitt was unable to be present, but in his absence nephew and current Premier half back Karl Hewitt donned the No 2 jersey.

Grant wasn't similarly-inclined to lace-up the boots, preferring to sideline and marvel at what the club had become in its move from the Taradale Park clubrooms to which he had been accustomed, the expansive multiple sports organisation with clubrooms and fields at Tareha Recreational Reserve, and the type of club rugby dominance which saw it win both Premier grade titles last year.

It was a successful of club rugby on Friday, with Taradale winning Premier and Senior 3 matches against arch rival, better known, to Grant as the separate Marist Brothers Old Boys and Napier High School Boys clubs with which Taradale battled in the 1970s.

"The club's done well," said Grant.

When Grant came to Hawke's Bay, having trained as a school teacher, he had played 4-5 Ranfurly Shield matches for Canterbury after the red--and-black took the shield off Hawke's Bay in 1969.

In May 1972 he captained the Junior All Blacks (players aged Under 23) in being beaten 25-9 at Athletic Park, Wellington, in a strong forward pack looking to the future – flanker Ken Stewart, locks Andy Haden and John Callesen, and props Brad Johnstone and Kent Lambert all became All Blacks, as did fullback Joe Karam, who kicked all the Juniors' points.

Some of the team the next year were in the Junior All Blacks team that scored a stunning win over the All Blacks, but Grant, by that stage too old for the Juniors, had to be content with playing a couple of All Blacks trials but mainly for Hawke's Bay, and Taradale.

He finished his playing career with Nelson Bays, and later worked overseas for a plastics firm, of which he became managing director.

He was overseas when Taradale celebrated its centennial in 1997.