First Maori captain remembered

James (Jim) Olney only met his great uncle Alex Takarangi once- a long time ago.
It was, says James, at a rest home "when I was just a kid".
Alex Takarangi died  in 1960, but his name is remembered in the centennial year of Maori rugby  as the first captain of the Maori All Blacks  in 1910.
Today the Maori All Blacks attempt a clean sweep of their Centennial Series and a double win  over Northern Hemisphere countries when they play England at Napier. And there will be an Olney, another great nephew, watching from the sidelines.
But while James stays in Wanganui, brother and former Maori All Black Trevor will be the one in close contact.
Trevor played three matches for the NZ Maori in 1975, two against West Samoa and one against Otago, and played three times for the North Island in Prince of Wales matches. He will attend one of the special luncheons being put on for former NZ Maori players.
Takarangi was clearly highly rated as a player/administrator and also in life in general.
Ariki Takarangi was educated at Te Aute College, and eventually played 100 first-class matches, 33 of them for the NZ Maori side.
The first match was against the Rotorua Sub-Union at Rotorua on May 21, 1910, with Maori winning 25-5. Tryscorers included one famous All Black in Billy Stead.
He also captained the NZ Maori on the tour to Australia in 1913.
He started as a wing, but was in the forwards by the time he retired.
A man of strong stature, he was the subject of these few words from famous rugby writer Norman McKenzie:
"Takarangi, of generous stature, held the scrum together in the main matches, and it is said that small boys - dubious that Alex's sturdy stocking-encased calves were real - stuck pins in, waiting for them to deflate."
Takarangi is also given credit for suggesting the great fullback George Nepia be moved into that position from first five-eighth - that story came from Nepia himself.
Takarangi played fullback for the North Island in 1904, and for the Maori in 1910-11-13.
As selector, he served not only the Wanganui Rugby Union but also the New Zealand Rugby Union, was a member of the Maori Advisory Board, and at various times a selector of Maori teams.
He was Kaierau Club patron from 1920-60.