Greg Feek

Prop Greg Feek appeared to have a promising international future in front of him but despite having three seasons in the All Blacks a string of injuries meant his career did not reach the heights that at one time seemed likely.

A loosehead specialist the New Plymouth born Feek first appeared at national level in 1994 in a powerful New Zealand U19 team that defeated Australia 55-6. Christian Cullen, Carlos Spencer and Anton Oliver were the most prominent among the future stars in that side. He made his first class debut for Taranaki as a 20 year old early in the 1996 season, then played all five matches for New Zealand Colts in the Southern Hemisphere under 21 tournament. Back with Taranaki his season just got better as part of the team that lifted the Ranfurly Shield from Auckland, then defended it against North Harbour. That though was the end of his first class season as All Black M R ‘Bull’ Allen returned from the tour of South Africa. After Allen’s departure to Manawatu he played a full season for Taranaki in 1997 when wins over Auckland and Argentina were a highlight. The Rugby Almanack recorded him as one of the tireless workers among the tight forwards.

Feek was drafted into the Crusaders for the 1998 Super 12, making five appearances though only starting once. He also appeared twice for the Rugby Academy in wins over a hapless England, who played seven matches in Australia, New Zealand (five games) and South Africa and lost them all, and Tonga. He and All Black Gordon Slater formed a formidable NPC front row in an efficient Taranaki side which recorded wins over major unions Auckland and Waikato. At the end of  the season he made his first appearances for New Zealand Maori, on their three match tour of Scotland where he started against Edinburgh (two tries) and Glasgow and came off the bench against Scotland.

The 1999 season began well for Feek, starting regularly for the Crusaders and helping them beat the Highlanders 24-19 in the Super 12 final. Now transferred to Canterbury he was called into the All Black squad for the domestic tests, though Otago’s Carl Hoeft was the first choice loosehead. Feek made appearances as a substitute against Samoa and Australia and started against South Africa. At the World Cup he came on as a substitute in the win over England and started in the 101-3 romp against Italy. He made just one appearance for his new province Canterbury before World Cup duties intervened.

Feek shared the loosehead duties for the Crusaders with Dave Hewett in 2000, though it was Feek who played the last three matches, including the tight 20-19 win over the Brumbies in the final. After helping N Z Maori to an 18-15 win over Scotland he was not required for the domestic and Tri-Nations tests and missed the first part of the NPC season through injury, with Hewett proving a very capable replacement. After four appearances as a substitute (the first of which was in the lifting of the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato) his only start was in the final, a 29-34 loss to Wellington. He was however selected for the end of season tour, starting in all three tests for a win and a loss against France and a big victory over Italy.. The Rugby Almanack rated him as one of four All Black props whose form and availability varied during the season.

His best season may have been in 2001. He and Hewett shared the Crusaders’ loosehead duties in what was a forgettable season for the franchise, finishing a lowly 10^th in the round robin.  In June Feek was part of the first N Z Maori team to play Australia in Australia since 1958 and the side performed well before eventually being beaten 29-41. There was success later in the month for the Maori, beating Argentina 43-24. Missing out on the mid season tests Feek had some compensation as first choice for Canterbury who retained the Ranfurly Shield throughout the season and beat Otago to win the NPC final. At the end of the season, under new All Black coach John Mitchell. he toured to Ireland, Scotland and Argentina, playing in the test wins against the first two countries.

Though only 26 years of age that was the end of Feek’s All Black career. He continued with Canterbury and the Crusaders until 2005, though injuries again curtailed his availability. In 2006, when he made his last appearance for New Zealand Maori, he moved to the new Tasman union, formed by the amalgamation of Nelson Bays and Marlborough and was to captain their Air New Zealand Cup side until injury again intervened. He recovered to make five appearances towards the end of the season to end his first class career.

Though never a fixture in the All Blacks and perhaps not fulfilling his potential the powerfully built 1.85m, 117kg  Feek , despite his injury breaks, enjoyed considerable success at Super 12 and NPC level and was twice involved with teams that lifted the Ranfurly Shield. He finished his meritorious career having appeared in ten tests, 66 matches for the Crusaders, 39 for Canterbury, 27 for Taranaki and 16 for N Z.