Rugby, rugby, rugby.

A few weeks ago I wrote a column on romance novels in the library. This article drew a number of interesting responses including one that was reported to me of “When’s he going to do one on rugby?” Given that we are now in the middle of the Rugby World Cup this is probably as good a time as ever to look at what the library has relating to our national game. Love it or hate it, there is no getting away from the fact that rugby has played an important part in our nation’s heritage and therefore has a strong presence in our collection.

Biographies are a very big part of sports writing and rugby is no exception. We have numerous biographies of rugby players here at the library ranging from legends of yesterday such as George Nepia, Colin Meads and Wilson Whineray; players from the recent past including Buck Shelford, Sean Fitzpatrick, Christian Cullen and Tana Umaga; and the current players charged with securing the Webb Ellis Cup for New Zealand including Dan Carter, Mils Muliaina and Richie McCaw. To prove we’re not completely one-eyed, we also have biographies of some of the leading overseas players including Jonny Wilkinson and George Gregan.

Our rugby biographies are not just limited to the players however. We also have books about All Blacks coaches Laurie Mains, John Hart, Grizz Wylie, and Graham Henry, as well as Titch, the biography of the legendary coach of the NZ Sevens team, Gordon Tietjens. In addition we have books about people who have made their careers through rugby not by playing but by managing (Phil Kingsley Jones), commentating (Keith Quinn), and photography (Peter Bush).

We have many general histories of rugby in New Zealand including the four volume The History of New Zealand Rugby Football which covers the period from 1870 to 1991, and of course the unrivalled Men In Black, now in its 7th edition. There are also however histories of specific teams and eras. The Original All Blacks 1905-06 by Christopher Tobin tells the story of the New Zealand’s first international tour and the huge impact it had it establishing the All Blacks legend and a national obsession. Khaki All Blacks by Mike Whatman tells the uplifting story of another unique New Zealand side, the ‘Kiwis’, made up of men from the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force who at the end of hostilities in Europe in 1945 went on a hugely successful tour of the UK, Ireland, France and Germany.

Wairarapa itself has a proud rugby heritage and we hold copies of the centenary publications of the Featherston, Carterton and Red Star rugby clubs. The Wairarapa Archive also stores the match day programmes for the 1986 match between Wairarapa Bush and Australia, and 1965 match against South Africa. And of course we do have biographies of two of the region’s famous rugby sons, Grant Batty and Sir Brian Lochore. Sir Brian has an unsurpassed reputation as an All Black captain and later coach, and to date is the only All Black coach to win the Rugby World Cup.

The significant place of Māori in New Zealand rugby has also received specific attention in several books held here at Masterton Library. An older book kept in our reference collection is Arthur H. Carman’s Māori Rugby: 1884-1979. Against the Odds: Matt Te Pou and Māori Rugby traces the history of the NZ Māori team in the professional era under the care of one of its most successful coaches. Beneath the Māori Moon by Malcolm Mulholland is a comprehensive illustrated history covering 100 years of Māori rugby including notable players and some of the politics behind the team.

Of course rugby has not always been able to keep free of controversy, principally over the issue of sporting contact with South Africa while the apartheid regime was still in place, and culminating with the1981 Springbok tour of New Zealand. Storm out of Africa by Richard Shears and Counting the Cost: the 1981 Springbok Tour in Wellington edited by David McKay both look at the unprecedented social upheaval caused by the tour. The Red Squad Story by Ross Meurant relates events from the perspective of the leader of the police unit charged with allowing the tour to go ahead in the face of passionate opposition.

Given that it is our national game, it is interesting that very little NZ fiction relates to rugby. Howard Joseph’s Game Without End is the story about the influence of rugby on the lives of two very different families over several generations and their quest to have members become All Blacks.The Legend of Beau Baxter by Ivan Dunn is a humorous take on the 1924 tour by the Invincibles featuring the larger than life Beau Baxter. Perhaps the fictional book on NZ rugby to receive the best critical reception is Lloyd Jones’ The Book of Fame which imaginatively relates the story of the 1905 Originals.

Rugby remains an important part of the NZ psyche and the tours and matches of 1905, 1956, 1981, 1987 and 1996 give these dates a special significance for many New Zealanders. 2011 will probably become another date to remember, hopefully for good reasons, and the library has plenty of material to support rugby’s many fans. But for those of you who are totally uninterested in rugby and the World Cup, don’t forget that the library is also a very useful alternative, either for a bit of reading or a DVD or two for those times when there doesn’t seem to be anything else on TV.

Jon Adams
Community Outreach Librarian
Masterton District Library