Mark Ranby

Mark Ranby’s All Black career was restricted to just one match, as a replacement against Samoa in 2001, but he was a respected player at provincial and Super 12 level from 1996 to 2006. And he very nearly had the distinction of being the 1,000th All Black when he and Carl Hayman came on as replacements at the same time. Hayman though took precedence through his alphabetical ranking.

Ranby made the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in 1995 from Palmerston North’s Freyberg High School where he was also excelled in athletics, particularly the long and triple jumps. He represented Manawatu in his first year out of school, playing 14 matches at centre or second five eight and being chosen as one of their ‘Five Promising Players’ by the Rugby Almanack. But for his selection for the New Zealand Under 19 side he would have appeared in every available Manawatu match.

Mark Ranby played for the Central Vikings, a combined Manawatu-Hawke’s Bay side, in the NPC for the next two years, mostly at centre. He moved to Wellington in 1998 but remained contracted to the Manawatu union and hence to the Central Vikings. As well as winning the NPC Second Division title with the Vikings in 1998 he was a member of the New Zealand Rugby Academy team that beat both England and Tonga. He also appeared for the New Zealand Colts in both 1997 and 1998.

After the Vikings concept was discarded Ranby moved to Waikato, representing that union from 1999 to 2005 and the Chiefs 1999 to 2006, though his career was subject to a number of injury breaks. After representing New Zealand Universities in 1999 his only other national representation was his All Black appearance against Samoa in 2001. He took up a playing contract in Japan after the 2006 Super 14.

Sturdily built (1.78m, 91 kg) Mark Ranby was a courageous hardworking player, perhaps lacking a little pace for the very top level, whose career might have been more significant but for a number of injuries.