Newlyweds both descendants of All Blacks

Former Southland All Black flanker and farmer Ken Stewart could not resist bringing up the subject of breeding on Sunday.

Speaking after the wedding of son Hamish (36) to Courtney Smith — granddaughter of Otago All Black the late Ray Bell — at Lake Hawea, he said the next event might be the birth of another southern All Black.

"They're going to be five-eighths, or centres or fullbacks, not flankers."

Hamish, a pest contractor, and Courtney, a district nurse, met five years ago at the Cromwell races. It was at Bell's 90th birthday they discovered the All Black connection.

Bell, whose sense of humour was in better shape than his memory, took it that Courtney was with Ken, rather than Hamish Stewart.

Courtney: "He was pretty stoked when he actually thought his granddaughter was marrying Ken."

Hamish: "And, then he said to me, 'you're the biggest cheat I've ever seen'."

The old Southland-Otago rivalry however did not extend to All Black service, with Bell expressing his admiration for Stewart's nine-year career (1972-81) as an All Black flanker.

And Stewart yesterday paid that back, acknowledging Bell's contribution to the game in 1951 and 1952.

Bell's career, as fullback, came to a premature end because of a knee injury.

The couple plan to live in Cromwell.