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Living Legends Honours a Manawatu Rugby Great

Monday 4 April 2011, 2:45PM

By Living Legends

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MANAWATU-WHANGANUI

Manawatu’s Sam Strahan has been selected as a “Rugby Legend” by the Living Legends project.

Born in Palmerston North on Christmas Day 1944, Strahan was educated at Apiti School, where he recalls his earliest rugby memory, playing for the Apiti School Midgets.  He then went on to Huntley Preparatory School, and Wanganui Collegiate. After only three games for his home club, Oroua, in 1965 he was selected to represent Manawatu, and attracted the attention of national selectors who included him in the Junior All Black team against the 1966 Lions.

In 1967 the All Black selectors were searching for a lock to partner another of Living Legends “Rugby Legends”, Colin Meads. They went to Napier to study Manawatu's Ranfurly Shield challenge, after which the selector found his lock forward after seeing some outstanding play from Sam.  By the end of the 1967 season the 1.95m, 101kg lock was off to Britain with the All Blacks where he partnered Colin Meads in each of the four Internationals. The young farmer had gone away as a relatively junior player but his performance improved with each game on a tour which is regarded as one of the most successful ever, being unbeaten in its 17 matches.

After 23 games for the All Blacks he had never been in a losing team, however, in 1969 he lost his Test position to Taranaki's Alan Smith.  Strahan returned to top form in 1970 though, touring South Africa and playing the best rugby of his career, appearing in the first three Tests.

After his last All Black game in 1973, Strahan played once for Manawatu then later retired from all first class rugby.

Sam is remembered as one of Manawatu's finest All Blacks and for six years the best lineout jumper in the country. All up he played for 36 years - with 45 games for the All Blacks, including 17 test matches.

After hanging up his boots Sam Strahan remained involved in rugby, as coach to his club team Oroua, and also within the Club's administration.  In 2002, the Oroua Rugby Football Club made Strahan a life member of the Club, and he has also served as President of the Manawatu Rugby Union, of which he is also a life member.  He says the best piece of advice he could give to young players now is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way.

Sam is looking forward to New Zealand’s hosting of Rugby World Cup, an opportunity he says that will give New Zealand exposure to the world.