Christchurch will play host to a series of special events this weekend honouring former All Blacks from various eras, as the All Blacks capping ceremony brings long overdue Test caps to many of the former greats.
The All Blacks Capping Ceremony, the second of six being held around the country in 2009, occurs on the eve of the Iveco Series Test match between the All Blacks and Italy, and also coincides with a 50th anniversary gathering of those All Blacks and Canterbury representatives who took on the British and Irish Lions in 1959.
Thirty-two former All Blacks or their families will receive the caps they earned for their first All Blacks Test appearance at the main capping ceremony which will be held at the Christchurch Convention Centre on Friday evening.
A number of those players will be acknowledged again at Saturday’s Iveco Series Test match at AMI Stadium, forming a guard of honour to welcome the two teams to the field.
Because of the special 1959 reunion, the New Zealand Rugby Union will also extend the capping ceremony to include four players from the 1959 All Blacks – Stan “Tiny” Hill, Fergie McCormick, Jules Lelievre and Bruce Watt - who have elected to receive their Test caps at the 1959 Series luncheon on Friday afternoon.
And, in another special tribute, former All Black Rex Orr will receive his Test cap at his retirement home in Halswell on Saturday with NZRU Chairman Jock Hobbs making the presentation.
The tradition of capping lapsed after the Second World War and was not re-introduced until 1997. As announced in December 2008, the NZRU is presenting more than 400 former players with their first Test cap during 2009 and 2010.
Christchurch Capping Ceremony
The following All Blacks or their family representatives will receive caps in Christchurch:
Bill Meates (Otago)*
Rex Orr # (Otago)
Nelson Dalzell (Cant)*
Guy Bowers (Wgtn)*
Lyn Davis (Cant)*
Wally Argus (Cant)
John Hotop (Cant)
Kevin Meates (Cant)
Robin Archer (Otago)
Stanley (Tiny) Hill (Cant)
Dennis Young (Cant)
Thomas Coughlan (S. Cant)
Bruce McPhail (Cant)
Bruce Watt # (Cant)
John Morrissey (Cant)
Jules Le Lievre # (Cant)
Bluey Arnold (Cant)
Bill Birtwistle (Cant)
Fergie McCormick (Cant)
Bruce Hunter (Otago)
Tane Norton (Cant)
Howard Joseph (Cant)
Ken Stewart (S’land)
Billy Bush (Cant)
Gary Seear (Otago)
Brian McKechnie (S’land)
Richard Wilson (Cant)
Warwick Taylor (Cant)
Albert Anderson (Cant)
Murray Davie (Cant)
Victor Simpson (Cant)
Andy Earl (Cant)
Richard Loe (Waikato)
Graeme Bachop (Cant)
Jon Preston (Cant)
^ Province refers to the province the player was playing for at the time of their Test debut.
* Family members of those players who have passed away will collect the caps on their behalf.
# Players being capped separately from the formal capping ceremony on Friday night
Provinces
Canterbury has the most representatives (23) of those being capped on Friday, with many of the province’s favourite rugby sons among those to be honoured. Otago (4) is next followed by Southland (2), and Wellington, Waikato and South Canterbury with one each.
Highlights
Five of the players to be capped had their Test debuts in Christchurch while there are three duos who had their debuts on the same day: John Hotop and Kevin Meates (vs Australia, 1952 in Christchurch); Bruce Hunter and Tane Norton (vs the 1971 British & Irish Lions in Dunedin); and Gary Seear and Brian McKechnie who both debuted against France in Toulouse on the same day in 1977.
Guard of Honour
At least nine of the players will be on hand at AMI Stadium on Saturday night to form a guard of honour for the All Blacks and Italian team as they take the field for their Iveco Series Test match.
About All Blacks Test caps
A player’s first appearance in a Test match for the All Blacks has traditionally been rewarded with a Test cap. However, along with international rugby itself, the capping tradition was interrupted by the Second World War and was not re-introduced until June 1997. In December 2008, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced it would hold a series of events in 2009 , 2010 and, if necessary, 2011, to cap more than 400 former All Blacks who did not receive their caps during that period.