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@Canerbry 's recollections reminded me that a NZ cricket medium fast bowler of the 80's and his mates tried to rough me up at said bowlers 19th birthday (which some mates and I had gatecrashed) for having a "friendly conversation" with his gf.
I was saved by my mates driving through his parents hedge and back out again creating two VW Beetle shaped holes.
Said bowler bowled pies. - but has a reputation of being a thoroughly decent bloke. I've never met him since.
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I lived next to Marc Ellis growing up. Inherited his desk - he and John Timu delivered it dressed up for a Toga party they were going to. He also gave me a rugby ball from an AB test he played at Athletic Park (forget which test), which my bloody dog got hold of and ripped to pieces which was annoying as hell.
And speaking of my dog, when we first got her and were getting her used to being outside Ellis' old man called the SPCA on us claiming we were abusing it or something.
Also have a tenuous link to Martin Crowe (RIP) through family, not blood related. Unfortunately never met the great man though.
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@no-quarter said in Most Famous people you have played sport with ( or had breakfast with), or are related to.:
Martin Crowe (RIP) through family, not blood related. Unfortunately never met the great man though.
Met him at his sisters place when he was doing a book launch a couple of years ago. Had met him when he was a young player as well. I really liked the older version (post his first brush with death). Interesting, thoughtful bloke.
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I went to school with a few - the most famous would be Chris Jack. I also got some cricket coaching from Craig McMillan and Chris Cairns and delivered pizza to the Hadlees, and Chris Harris (he gave me a solid tip for grabbing a pack of cigars from the gas station up the road).
Chess is where I've met and played nearly all of Australia and NZ's top players including various Grandmasters and a few big international names as well - Nigel Short probably the biggest name.
Mark Noble won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games for bowls, and is also NZ's best ever Correspondence chess player.
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Went to school with Norm Berryman, although had played with/against him from when we were about 6, same for Pero Cameron (although we played League) current 'canes CEO Avan Lee was headboy at WBHS when I was in 7th form
PLayed 1st 15 with Norm Maxwell and Mark Robinson, played against a bunch of players who went on to play super rugby (a couple went on to play Int Rugby) of which a few of thems kids are in the same team as my son
Also I know Bruce Robertson quite well.
When I had the taniwharugby website many years ago, I had done a phone interview with Wayne Smith (he was at Northampton at the time - had just messaged him via the Saints website and he replied quite promptly IIRC) and then a couple of years later I saw him and Graham Henry at Dunedin airport, decided to go say hi, he remembered who I was, stoked!
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@taniwharugby Have I told my Mark Robinson story? I'm sure I have but anyway, he comes down to the Tron and comes out drinking with a bunch of our mates who know him from Northland and we get to chatting about the NZ U21s. He just starts laying into the other halfback in the team, Danny Lee, saying how shit he was and how he shouldn't have been in the team, and how much better 'he' was than him. He was drinking in a flat that was full of Bay boys who were all mates with Lee. TBF, he'd had quite a few beers by that stage, but his Northland mates took immense pleasure in giving him shit about it all night.
How do you know Robertson? Was he stoked with Hastings Boys efforts last year?
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@dogmeat said in Most Famous people you have played sport with ( or had breakfast with), or are related to.:
Met a lot of politicians business people GG's etc - some minor royalty, sports people, film stars and muso's but that's more a result of age and getting to go to dinners etc or through work - none of them would remember me I'm sure
Only played with one (moderately) famous sportsman. England fast medium bowler of the 70's (and now Guardian journo) Mike Selvey. Way too fast for me.
My abiding memory though is Joanna Lumley - 35 years ago - opening her door clad only in her nightwear with the sun behind her....
And we have a winner.
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Was in the same school side as David Young (Wales and British & Irish Lions) and David Evans (Wales).
Was in the same British Polytechnic side as Tim Rodber (England and British & Irish Lions) and Rupert Moon (Wales).
Got the run around from a then 16 year old winger called Austin Healey at the Caldy 7s outside Liverpool. Thankfully I was playing prop that day, so was to be expected.
Very lucky to make turns with ski legends Glen Plake, Bill Johnson and Steve Mahre.
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No famous person would know me from a bar of soap, except maybe Todd Miller because he does junior rugby at HBHS.
My worst brush though was coaching my first team, which I did because they had no-one else. It was an also-ran Under 55 outfit with zero talent. They enjoyed playing though and we got on fine.
Anyway turned around one day and there was an All Black watching from the sidelines. Turns out he was uncle to one of the boys.
I was already feeling bad because I wasn't really too flash as a coach, and that just made me feel more insecure.
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@bones said in Most Famous people you have played sport with ( or had breakfast with), or are related to.:
n.Honourable mention to Semo Sititi, Apollo Perelini, Roy Kinikinilau. Missed out on marking Lomu due to injury 😔 actually probably a good thing with me being about 70 odd kg dripping wet at the time.
Howd ya go against Lauaki?
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Went to the same school as Nick Stiles. He was a prize piston wristed gibbon back then as well. Repeated final grade which probably doesn't indicate he was much of an academic.
A mate of mine lived beside League legend Glen Lazarus. We were hired to be bartenders at his 30th. All the greats were there (except for Wally and Alfie for some reason) and it was an eye opener watching these guys get utterly hammered and sing karaoke. Farker never paid us for services rendered though. I would have served (and serviced) All Blacks for free but not farking leagies. Was hard work too. Those pricks drank like fish.
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Anyway turned around one day and there was an All Black watching from the sidelines. Turns out he was uncle to one of the boys.
I was playing Division 2 Rugby for Te Rapa against Suburbs about five years ago. I lifted my game when I saw Dave Rennie watching from the sideline. I heard that Wayne Smiths son was in the Suburbs side and the chiefs coaches had trained them a few times.
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@mooshld Did not. Just not worth mentioning... The time Nathan Mauger scored a try outpacing Umaga and Cullen down the sideline at Athletic Park for the Crusaders was fucking hilarious, for the guy who went round with a 2 dollar note trying to find someone to swap for two of the new 1 dollar coins.
Didn't lose to the Syrups though.
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@canerbry said in Most Famous people you have played sport with ( or had breakfast with), or are related to.:
@mooshld Did not. Just not worth mentioning... The time Nathan Mauger scored a try outpacing Umaga and Cullen down the sideline at Athletic Park for the Crusaders was fucking hilarious, for the guy who went round with a 2 dollar note trying to find someone to swap for two of the new 1 dollar coins.
Didn't lose to the Syrups though.
He outangled them he didnt outpace them. Ridiculous comment.
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Related to: Kate Sheppard, and sporty types Yvette Williams, Brian McKechnie, Wayne Warlow.
Played sport with: I defeated Bruce Campbell and Michael Hurst at pool during a Hercules cast party. When intoxicated, I am a pool shark. When sober, I couldn't hit the side of a barn. In terms of celebs, heaps. Working as a journo, they're a dime a dozen. Also via Telethons.
Had breakfast with: I'll save that for my memoirs. -
Played against a few future All Blacks in first XV rugby. But one highlight was being in the first XV against the teachers’ invitation side and playing opposite Tiny Hill ( he would have been in his mid 40s) in the line out. At half time we got coaching from our opposite numbers. He said to me :” the most important thing about locking son is binding tight” and proceeded to demonstrate what he meant. I was left dangling in mid air. He felt like he was made from concrete.
Most Famous people you have played sport with ( or had breakfast with), or are related to.
