The Breakdown team look back on the wonderful career of All Blacks great Andy Haden.
Wanganui has lost its most-capped locally born All Black with the death of Andy Haden.
The 69-year-old, who died in Auckland from cancer last week, represented New Zealand 117 times, including 41 tests, between 1972 and 1985.
Educated and playing rugby locally for Okoia Primary School, Wanganui Intermediate and Wanganui Boys' College before going to university, Haden is the only match centurion of 49 players who have been associated with Whanganui rugby to have worn the Silver Fern.
He is amongst Wanganui-born players who have won All Black honours from other NZ unions, his closest game appearance rival being 1922-28 Hawke's Bay loose forward Maurice Brownlie with 61 caps for his country.
Three Wanganui-born Brownlie brothers, all loose forwards, were to become All Blacks. The most recent locally born All Black is Cullinane College first five Brett Cameron (Crusaders) who played against Japan in Tokyo last year.
In addition to Haden and Maurice Brownlie other notable Wanganui-born All Blacks from other unions include Cyril Brownlie (1924-28), Canterbury five eights Charlie Oliver (1928-36) and Doug Wilson (1953-54) and Wellington lock Ivan Vodanovich (1955).
Seventeen players who represented Wanganui became All Blacks from other unions, the latest being Whanganui City College 1st XV Fijian winger Waisake Naholo, who helped Wanganui win the Heartland Meads Cup championship in 2009 before Taranaki and the Highlanders snapped him up.
Naholo now has links up with London Irish, scoring a runaway 60m try in a 27-all draw with Bristol Bears, a team containing fellow ex-All Blacks Steven Luatua and Charlie Piutau, at the end of December.
The following All Blacks had connections with Wanganui rugby:
Whanganui ABS
Whanganui ABS2
Andy's local connection Although most of Andy Haden's rugby and business centred around Auckland he retained a close affinity with Wanganui rugby and with locally based members of his family.
His father regularly transported him from the family homestead at Okoia, with other district youngsters, for weekly primary games on the Wanganui Racecourse.
His rugby continued at Wanganui Intermediate and then at Wanganui Boy's College where he started his first serious organised rugby in 1964, later moving on to Massey and then the University of Auckland.
He made the Wanganui BC 1st XV along with Graham Sims (Otago All Black centre in 1972), future Wanganui rep loose forward and world bowls champion Peter Belliss and future 1972 Olympic silver medal rowing winner and world champion rowing coach Richard Tonks.
Andy was in Wanganui in 1983 along with Argentine star Hugo Porta for the opening of the Counties' club McNab Domain field at Kaiwhaiki and a year later at WBC for the opening of the new Tech COB RFC floodlights and to promote his book "Boots 'n All".
Although living in Auckland Andy regularly returned to Wanganui, where his mother lived in Eastown.
Haden, at 6ft 6.5in (1.99m), was the second of four sons, all six-footers, with his father 6ft 4in and a grandfather a massive 6ft 9in.
His height came in handy when he became an All Black in 1972, developing into one of the finest front of the lineout jumpers.
His arrival into international rugby was timely because a year earlier the legendary Colin Meads, who led Wanganui-King Country to a famous 12-6 win over the 1966 Lions on Spriggens Park, had played his 133rd and last game for NZ in a 17-all draw against the 1971 Lions at Eden Park.
Only Ritchie McCaw (149) has played more games for the All Blacks than Meads. Haden's 117 matches, including 41 tests, is seventh amongst 18 international centurions.
Haden inaugurated the popular Classic All Blacks, of which former Wanganui skipper Bruce Middleton (1980 NZ XV) has been a regular member, in 1989, and played a key role in organising the NZ Cavaliers to South Africa in 1986 (Andrew Donald was on the tour).
Donald was a NZ trialist with Haden in 1981, as were Graeme Coleman and Bob Barrell in 1976. Coleman and Haden were in the 1976 North Island team and Donald and replacement forward Sandy McNicol toured with Haden on the 1972-73 All Black tour of Britain and France.
McNicol and Haden became great friends and played together for Tarbes in southwest France in 1974-76.
Wanganui's J J Stewart was a NZ selector-coach in 1973-77 during the Haden All Black era.
Andy Haden, who played a key role in the early development years of professional rugby in the country and occasionally had different views to NZRFU officials, was also a highly efficient organiser and businessman.
