Kevin Schuler

Even though it never became quite clear in which of the backrow positions Kevin Schuler was best suited this versatile and aggressive loose forward was extremely good value in New Zealand rugby in the late 1980s and early 90s. He was a severe loss when with plenty of rugby left and at a relatively young age he left to pursue his career, along with considerable commercial opportunities, in Japan.

Schuler was a Thames Valley product and the son of Herb, who played several seasons as a tight forward for that union’s representative side in the 1950s. Kevin Schuler himself was nicknamed Herb.

But apart from his age group and schoolboy years all of Kevin Schuler’s representative career was spent either with Manawatu or North Harbour.

He went to Massey University to study and after making the North Island Universties side made the Manawatu representative side in 1987 while still a teenager.

Schuler played 49 matches for Manawatu captaining the union in its match against the touring French side in 1989. Schuler represented Manawatu until 1990 and then spent the 1991-92 seasons with North Harbour, returning briefly in 1995 to bring his tally for that union to 20.

Schuler played for a wide range of national sides. Besides the All Blacks he was in the New Zealand Colts (seven matches in 1987-88), New Zealand Universities (nine matches in 1988-89 including the first students World Cup), the New Zealand Divisional XV (three matches in 1990) and the Development XV in 1990. He also played for Central zone (four games in the George Nepia series in 1988-89) and in several All Black trials.

He was one of an outstanding New Zealand Colts side in 1987, and after captaining that side in 1988 was marked as a strong All Black prospect. He received his first All Black jersey when he replaced an injured Paul Henderson on the 1989 tour of Ireland and Wales.

He played in five matches and in 1990 his ability to cover all three loose forward places saw him as the reserve in that season’s domestic tests. His first test cap came when he came on as a replacement in the second test against the Wallabies at Eden Park.

But with Michael Jones returning from a long injury break he was overlooked for the end of the year tour of France. Instead he toured Canada as captain of the Development XV.

Jones, Mike Brewer, Henderson and Mark Carter were all preferred to him in the 1991 season and it was not until 1992 that he was recalled to the All Blacks for the tour of Australia. He played in five matches including the second test in Brisbane but was then ruled out of the rest of the tour with an injury.

At the end of that year Schuler moved to Japan, where as a player and coach he has been based ever since. But he returned in 1995 and after reappearing in Harbour’s early season matches and in the final trial he was included in the All Blacks’ World Cup squad. Coach Laurie Mains clearly saw his versatility as an excellent backup in a squad limited to just 26 players.

Schuler was a late replacement in the pool match against Ireland and played in the 145-17 rout of Japan.