Zinzan Brooke

One of the most skilful forwards to have played for the All Blacks and one of the most versatile and durable. He entered first-class rugby in 1986 as Murray Zinzan Brooke but changed his names by deed poll to take family history into account. Brooke, who was educated at Mahurangi College, impressed with the national Colts side but it was playing for the New Zealand sevens team in 1987 that established his reputation as a player with the build of a forward but the skills and flair of a back. He was chosen for the 1987 World Cup squad after the unavailability because of injury of Mike Brewer and played in the pool match against Argentina on the openside flank, scoring the first of his 41 tries for New Zealand.

Brooke toured Japan at the end of 1987 and Australia in 1988 but didn’t play another test until 1989 when he replaced Michael Jones – as he’d done in his first test, against Argentina at Athletic Park. He was then seen as the deputy to captain Wayne Shelford at No 8 and when Shelford was dropped after the two-test series against Scotland in 1990, Brooke took over. His test appearances continued to be spasmodic, however, partly because of injury and partly because of the caprices of selectors. It was only relatively late in his career that he became the regular first-choice No 8 after being played on occasions there or either of the flanker positions.

He played in five of the matches in the 1991 World Cup and four in the 1995 cup, during which he kicked a dropped goal against England, the first of three in tests.

Brooke became Auckland captain after Sean Fitzpatrick was made captian of the All Blacks and he also led the Auckland Blues in the first two years of the Super 12, winning the title both years.

For all Brooke’s standing in rugby, he also had a touch of wanderlust and evidently signed a contract with the Sydney league club, Manly, before changing his mind and later was on the verge of going to play in Japan before commercial deals were struck to keep him in New Zealand. Brooke signed with the London club, Harlequins, during 1997 and the All Blacks’ tour of Britain and Ireland in November and December was his swansong.

Brooke received the ultimate compliment from All Black coach John Hart when he said there would never be another player like him.

His 17 tries in tests were a world record for a forward. Many of his more than 150 tries in his first-class career came from pushover tries at the base of the dominant Auckland pack, but the nature of the tries don’t detract from the skill and competitiveness of one of the All Black giants of the 1990s, and one to live with the giants of the past.