Sir Colin Meads' daughter Shelley Mitchell talks about what it's been like since her father's passing last year.
Tributes for the late Sir Colin Meads from his beloved provincial union and club, marking one year since he died tomorrow, are humbling, say his family.
Three rugby jerseys in memory of the All Black great will be on show or on auction in Pinetree's home town of Te Kuitiover coming days as King Country Rugby and Waitete Rugby Football Club honour their favourite son.
"We are extremely proud that his legacy can live on," youngest daughter Shelley Mitchell told the Herald on Sunday.
"Dad was passionate about King Country Rugby. He loved the union and would do anything for them so the fact that can continue on, ever after he's passed, we're really proud and I know that he would just be absolutely rapt."
Sir Colin Meads in the stands at Waitete Rugby Football Club. The All Black great always supported his beloved King Country province when time allowed. Photo / Waitomo News
When King Country kicks off its Heartland Championship campaign at the Waitete grounds in Te Kuiti next Saturday, the Rams' No 5 will pull on a jersey inscribed with the words "Remembering Pinetree".
A second maroon and yellow jersey, signed by Meads, will be auctioned that afternoon to raise money for the union where the legendary lock played 139 games, making his debut against Counties in 1955 as a 19-year-old.
And today, to mark almost one year since Meads died of pancreatic cancer, a Waitete club jersey signed by up to 20 former All Blacks at his funeral, will go on display in the club house for the first time.
"It's humbling," Mitchell said of the inscription. "We're just so proud of our dad and we think it's lovely of King Country to remember him a year on and honour him in this way."
Sir Colin Meads' daughter, Shelley Mitchell, models the King Country Rugby Union jersey that will go up for auction. Sir Colin signed the shirt before his death a year ago. Photo / Alan Gibson
It had been a year of readjustment for the family since their 81-year-old patriarch died in Te Kuiti Hospital on August 20 last year.
Meads' wife, Lady Verna, said she had been comforted by the couple's five children - Karen, Kelvin, Rhonda, Glynn and Shelley, 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
"It's been very hard but I'm super lucky I suppose I could say with the family I've got."
She missed her husband of 60 years dearly.
"He was sort of like the life and the soul of everywhere he went and he dragged me along with him most of the time, so it was a pretty interesting life.
"When you look back on it now, I was such a dreadfully shy girl and he was fairly shy but nowhere near as bad as me. Life just happens one day at a time but when you look back on what happened it's amazing. Almost unbelievable really."
Two weeks after Meads died it was discovered Lady Verna had a broken hip, the pain from which confined her to a wheelchair at his funeral.
Sir Colin and Lady Verna Meads on the day a statue of the All Black great was unveiled in his hometown of Te Kuiti. He died two months later. Photo / Alan Gibson
The then 81-year-old underwent immediate surgery at Waikato Hospital and is now back on her feet.
Lady Verna planned to attend the opening match of the 2018 Heartland campaign for the Rams against East Coast supported by the family.
"I don't care who wins as long as we do," she said, a favourite saying of her husband's.
Meads would be "very thrilled" at the fact a jersey he signed will help raise money for King Country players of all ages, she said.
"I know King Country has always struggled financially, and it gives me comfort and pleasure that Colin is in a sense still helping them."
The No 5 jersey inscription "Remembering Pinetree" - a nod to the larger than life All Black's nickname - was made possible by sponsor Inframax.
The construction company will also match the amount raised at auction for the autographed jersey.
Sir Michael Jones at Sir Colin Meads' funeral. He and 19 other former All Blacks including Sir Brian Lochore and Sir John Kirwan signed a Waitete club rugby jersey that day. Photo / Dean Purcell
King Country Rugby general manager Susan Youngman said there was already strong interest in the auction.
Youngman said Meads would be missed in the stands, where he often sat in his King Country blazer, at Saturday's match.
"I think it will be quite a sombre day really because he did so much. He did so much for me personally in my role.
"Being a female coming into a male environment, he was really supportive of me and he was just so supportive of rugby in general. He just loved it. We've lost our icon really."
