Skip to main content

Story: King Country region

Colin Meads

Image
Colin Meads

Former All Black rugby player and farmer Colin Meads (1936–2017) was for many years the King Country's most famous son. He was born in Cambridge in 1936 and grew up on a farm near Te Kūiti, where he farmed during his adult years. Meads played for the All Blacks from 1957 to 1971 and for King Country during his whole provincial career. After retiring from top-level rugby, he was involved in coaching and administration in the King Country. In 2011, Te Kuiti was unoffically and temporarily re-named 'Meadsville' during the Rugby World Cup, which was held in New Zealand that year.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Janine Faulknor

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, King Country region – Tourism, recreation and sport, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34918/colin-meads (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 6 December 2011, updated 1 March 2015.