Way back when there was a clear distinction between work and rugby, great
names of the game spent their time working in an office or at a trade or out on
the farm, all the while fitting in training and then playing at the weekends.
That job/play distinction became hazier through the 80s and 90s until, in the
wake of Jonah Lomu's stunning exploits at the 1995 World Cup and pressure from
media barons, the International Rugby Board declared rugby professional.
Some players just missed that paydirt, others straddled the crossover years
while the rest have never known any different and have always written `fulltime
sportsman' on their tax returns as rugby threaded its way through two decades of
professionalism.
For all of these players, though, there was a finishing line, a final test
appearance. Some made that choice, others had it made for them. Some All Blacks
had planned strongly for life after rugby, many were pursued hard by companies
while others had difficulties settling into the next chapter of their lives.
How did they go about that transition? Did they wait for guidance, have a
lightbulb moment, take on some serious study or retraining or did they have the
security of going back into a family business?
How did a lifetime in rugby protect or prepare them for experiences after the
game and how and why did they make the choices they did? Rugby – The
Afterlife explores in great detail how a number of All Blacks coped with that
transition and came out the other side.
Featured All Blacks:
Mark Allen
Frank Bunce
Adrian Cashmore
Matthew Cooper
Christian Cullen
Craig Dowd
Sean Fitzpatrick
Norm Hewitt
Andrew Hore
Ian Jones
Michael Jones
Josh Kronfeld
Blair Larsen
Walter Little
Richerd Loe
Justin Marshall
Keven Mealamu
Glen Osborne
Arran Pene
Taine Randell
Eric Rush
John Timu
Jeff Wilson
Author Biography
Wynne Gray began his journalism career on the Auckland Star and the 8 O'Clock
before heading to travel and work in Europe and Australia. When he returned he
became the senior rugby writer for the NZ Herald and attended more than 250 All
Blacks tests and internationals around the globe, filing for the company
newspapers and also online. He has written several books, been a guest panelist
on Sky television, won a number of awards and is a life member of the NZ Sports
Journalists Association.