Former All Black captain Sir Colin Meads was also a dab hand at knitting

It's unlikely many people knew that Sir Colin Meads was a dab hand at knitting.

It was just one of many stories and tributes that flowed at the Les Munro Centre in Te Kuiti as thousands farewelled the man his former All Black captain and good mate Sir Brian Lochore called "iconic".

Sir Colin's brother Stan was asked to tell some stories about the 81-year-old, considered New Zealand's finest ever player, who died on August 20 from pancreatic cancer.

One particular story brought the house down.

"He wasn't that dedicated to school so mum thought, 'what am I going to do?' Stan Meads said.

"One thing she did do was taught him how to knit. He made himself a scarf and a balaclava."

Stan said everything with his older brother was competitive, although they did conspire effectively once.

"We were both made captains at a North Island trial, so we met after the last training before the match and let each other know a few of the lineout calls.

"That way it'd look good to the selectors if we both stole the occasional ball in the lineout."

He said he would miss going to see club team Waitete or province King Country play with his brother, listening to his astute comments and enjoying a beer afterward.

Lochore was joined by a number of rugby luminaries at the service, which stopped Te Kuiti.

Joe Stanley, Sir John Kirwan, Josh Kronfeld, Stu Wilson and Richard Loe were in attendance, along with political leaders Prime Minister Bill English, Labour leader Jacinda Adern and former prime minister Jim Bolger.

Lochore said, "I've lost a friend and New Zealand has lost an icon."

Both with farming backgrounds, he said Sir Colin helped him be a better captain and two words summed his friend up.

"It was trust and respect. That's what we had together."

Meads' coffin will be carried in a 1938 Plymouth hearse that has come from Napier.

After the public service the family will attend a private burial service at Te Kuiti Cemetery.

There will be a wake for Meads at his beloved Waitete club.