GCBRONCO
International Captain
- Mar 4, 2008
- 22,235
- 20,559
former Kiwi Test forward Gavin Hill - and he tips the bucket on rugby union in NZ in a big way.
By TONY ADAMS
Your family tree is like a who’s who of Kiwi sport... can you run us through it?
My five great uncles all played for the All Blacks and were a part of the first All Black team to leave New Zealand on a tour of Australia in 1884. My uncle ‘Tiny’ is a legend at Canterbury rugby and a cousin, Stan Hill, is regarded as the best basketballer New Zealand ever produced. Stan’s son also played for the Tall Blacks.There are some good genes there. All I wanted to ever do was follow them and become an All Black... sadly it never happened.
You first came to light in a goalkicking contest when you were just 17. What happened?
There were several All Blacks - including Robbie Deans - and everyone thought one of them would win for sure. I was lucky enough to beat them - and claim the $2500 prize. Back then that was a LOT of money. My eyes lit up... but the next day the Auckland Rugby Club said to me ‘Right... we will have that’. They claimed it under the old ‘amateur rule’... that you couldn’t make money from footy... it broke my heart. Then, from what I hear, they turned around and gave the cash to one of the All Blacks. Part of me wants to go back now and ask for the money!
Why did you leave rugby and take a shot at league?
Like I said, my life’s goal was to become an All Black. But I could see for one reason or another, that I wasn’t going to get selected. I got a call one day from (Bulldogs chief executive) Peter Moore offering me a contract. I flew over in secret for a week - people forget now how big the hatred was between the codes. I had a mate who went to Gold Coast and trialled under an assumed name. He didn’t sign but the Kiwi rugby authorities found out what he did and made him sit out a year. Sonny Bill Williams doesn’t realise how lucky he is - you couldn’t chop and change back then!
What happened next?
I signed - and there was an immediate backlash from rugby. They hated league - plain and simple. I found out very quickly who my friends really were and it made me change my opinion about a lot of people. They said I went for the money... that wasn’t it. I just wanted to play for my country and I could see that wasn’t going to happen in rugby union, sadly.
How was the move?
I realised the moment the plane touched down at Sydney airport that I was playing a whole new ball game. (Bulldogs coach) Chris Anderson was there to meet me. He tossed me a singlet and said ‘You have 40 minutes to get to training... if you are late, you are fined’. It was quite a culture shock!
Did you fit in well?
The training was hard and I struggled for fitness. Not many forwards switch from union to league and I suddenly realised why! I was homesick for the first couple of years and wished I’d stayed at home. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. My first game was a trial against Parramatta. Terry Lamb threw me this ‘hospital‘ pass... a slow, looping ball over my head. I put my arms up to take it - and got smashed by four Eels forwards. It hurt like hell - and Baa was laughing his head off! I chased him the rest of the game to give him a clip around the ear... but I couldn’t catch him!
And goalkicking was your forte?
I was pretty accurate and could kick from long range. But I remember in my debut, against Balmain, we got a penalty on halfway and they told me to take the kick for goal. I learned an old trick in rugby to sneak the ball forward three or four metres when you place it. But Bill Harrigan was referee and he was straight on to me. ‘Hey Kiwi,‘ he yelled at me ‘Where are you going? Get back here and kick it from the mark!‘ So I learned as I went along.
Why did you leave the Dogs?
My wife got homesick and I went to Featherstone in England for a couple of months before ending up back in New Zealand and playing club footy in Waikato. It’s not the brightest thing I have done but it seemed a good idea at the time!
But the Warriors came along - and you hold a special place in their history?
Yes - I was the club’s first signing. It was an exciting time for the whole country, our own team, and (coach) John Monie built a great culture. We probably didn’t have the early success but I thought he was unfairly chastised. He was a good bloke and a smart coach. It took us a fair but of time to get accustomed to the NRL. A lot of the guys weren’t used to the week-to-week grind and that was our undoing.
And you achieved your dream of playing for your country?
Yes, I did, and it was great. It was when I was with the Bulldogs back in 1992. I remember I had a day off and just went bush to escape the city. I had one of those old (telephone) answering machines - no mobile phones back then. The light was blinking on it like crazy when I got home that night so I wondered what had happened. I pressed the button and all the messages started coming in that I had made it... it was a very proud moment for me. I had only played maybe 10 games of league, so it was a bit of a shock.
How did you handle the step up?
I made my debut against Papua New Guinea - they were tough little blokes! I got a few Tests... doing the haka was a dream come true. I look at the way teams do the haka these days and they are very choreographed. I have seen a video of when we did the haka and it looked like a scene from a night club... arms and legs flying everywhere (laughs). My first Kiwi jumper is up on the wall of the local high school - it was one of the high points of my career.
How did you go against the Aussies?
They were a little too good for us but one Test at Palmerston North, we thought we had them. They were on the back foot and we were making inroads in attack. We got a few penalties and every time we kicked for touch, the ball went into the crowd... and disappeared. Eventually they ran out of balls, the ref had to find a new one and wait while they pumped it up in the sheds so we could keep playing. That break allowed the Aussies to get their breath back - they got a second wind and beat us - I’m still dirty about that!
AFTER earning the wrath of arrogant rugby union officials for daring to switch to league, Gavin Hill eventually returned to the 15-a-side game to finish his career.
“It was in 1998 and by then a lot of the ill-feeling had gone away... times change,” says Hill, who now works mentoring disadvantaged children at Auckland’s Selwyn College.
“The one thing I can say about rugby union, it gives you great opportunities to see the world.
“I played in Canada and Ireland and also back in Wellington before finally hanging up my boots in 1998.”
By TONY ADAMS
Your family tree is like a who’s who of Kiwi sport... can you run us through it?
My five great uncles all played for the All Blacks and were a part of the first All Black team to leave New Zealand on a tour of Australia in 1884. My uncle ‘Tiny’ is a legend at Canterbury rugby and a cousin, Stan Hill, is regarded as the best basketballer New Zealand ever produced. Stan’s son also played for the Tall Blacks.There are some good genes there. All I wanted to ever do was follow them and become an All Black... sadly it never happened.
You first came to light in a goalkicking contest when you were just 17. What happened?
There were several All Blacks - including Robbie Deans - and everyone thought one of them would win for sure. I was lucky enough to beat them - and claim the $2500 prize. Back then that was a LOT of money. My eyes lit up... but the next day the Auckland Rugby Club said to me ‘Right... we will have that’. They claimed it under the old ‘amateur rule’... that you couldn’t make money from footy... it broke my heart. Then, from what I hear, they turned around and gave the cash to one of the All Blacks. Part of me wants to go back now and ask for the money!
Why did you leave rugby and take a shot at league?
Like I said, my life’s goal was to become an All Black. But I could see for one reason or another, that I wasn’t going to get selected. I got a call one day from (Bulldogs chief executive) Peter Moore offering me a contract. I flew over in secret for a week - people forget now how big the hatred was between the codes. I had a mate who went to Gold Coast and trialled under an assumed name. He didn’t sign but the Kiwi rugby authorities found out what he did and made him sit out a year. Sonny Bill Williams doesn’t realise how lucky he is - you couldn’t chop and change back then!
What happened next?
I signed - and there was an immediate backlash from rugby. They hated league - plain and simple. I found out very quickly who my friends really were and it made me change my opinion about a lot of people. They said I went for the money... that wasn’t it. I just wanted to play for my country and I could see that wasn’t going to happen in rugby union, sadly.
How was the move?
I realised the moment the plane touched down at Sydney airport that I was playing a whole new ball game. (Bulldogs coach) Chris Anderson was there to meet me. He tossed me a singlet and said ‘You have 40 minutes to get to training... if you are late, you are fined’. It was quite a culture shock!
Did you fit in well?
The training was hard and I struggled for fitness. Not many forwards switch from union to league and I suddenly realised why! I was homesick for the first couple of years and wished I’d stayed at home. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. My first game was a trial against Parramatta. Terry Lamb threw me this ‘hospital‘ pass... a slow, looping ball over my head. I put my arms up to take it - and got smashed by four Eels forwards. It hurt like hell - and Baa was laughing his head off! I chased him the rest of the game to give him a clip around the ear... but I couldn’t catch him!
And goalkicking was your forte?
I was pretty accurate and could kick from long range. But I remember in my debut, against Balmain, we got a penalty on halfway and they told me to take the kick for goal. I learned an old trick in rugby to sneak the ball forward three or four metres when you place it. But Bill Harrigan was referee and he was straight on to me. ‘Hey Kiwi,‘ he yelled at me ‘Where are you going? Get back here and kick it from the mark!‘ So I learned as I went along.
Why did you leave the Dogs?
My wife got homesick and I went to Featherstone in England for a couple of months before ending up back in New Zealand and playing club footy in Waikato. It’s not the brightest thing I have done but it seemed a good idea at the time!
But the Warriors came along - and you hold a special place in their history?
Yes - I was the club’s first signing. It was an exciting time for the whole country, our own team, and (coach) John Monie built a great culture. We probably didn’t have the early success but I thought he was unfairly chastised. He was a good bloke and a smart coach. It took us a fair but of time to get accustomed to the NRL. A lot of the guys weren’t used to the week-to-week grind and that was our undoing.
And you achieved your dream of playing for your country?
Yes, I did, and it was great. It was when I was with the Bulldogs back in 1992. I remember I had a day off and just went bush to escape the city. I had one of those old (telephone) answering machines - no mobile phones back then. The light was blinking on it like crazy when I got home that night so I wondered what had happened. I pressed the button and all the messages started coming in that I had made it... it was a very proud moment for me. I had only played maybe 10 games of league, so it was a bit of a shock.
How did you handle the step up?
I made my debut against Papua New Guinea - they were tough little blokes! I got a few Tests... doing the haka was a dream come true. I look at the way teams do the haka these days and they are very choreographed. I have seen a video of when we did the haka and it looked like a scene from a night club... arms and legs flying everywhere (laughs). My first Kiwi jumper is up on the wall of the local high school - it was one of the high points of my career.
How did you go against the Aussies?
They were a little too good for us but one Test at Palmerston North, we thought we had them. They were on the back foot and we were making inroads in attack. We got a few penalties and every time we kicked for touch, the ball went into the crowd... and disappeared. Eventually they ran out of balls, the ref had to find a new one and wait while they pumped it up in the sheds so we could keep playing. That break allowed the Aussies to get their breath back - they got a second wind and beat us - I’m still dirty about that!
AFTER earning the wrath of arrogant rugby union officials for daring to switch to league, Gavin Hill eventually returned to the 15-a-side game to finish his career.
“It was in 1998 and by then a lot of the ill-feeling had gone away... times change,” says Hill, who now works mentoring disadvantaged children at Auckland’s Selwyn College.
“The one thing I can say about rugby union, it gives you great opportunities to see the world.
“I played in Canada and Ireland and also back in Wellington before finally hanging up my boots in 1998.”
