Maori All Black Paul Quinn retires

Tu Tangata, Issue 17, 1 April 1984, Page 4

Maori All Black Paul Quinn retires

Maori All Black captain and Wellington captain, Paul Quinn says he’s quit rugby because he wanted to get out while he still enjoyed the game rather than playing for too long. “I’m getting out at the right time, I believe I’m at my pinnacle”.

He’s had a long career, spanning captaining the 1982 Maori All Blacks

tour to Wales, leading the Wellington provincial side to a national tournament championship victory, as well as carrying off the coveted Ranfurly Shield. Paul Quinn talked to Rahena Broughton about rugby politics on and off the field as well as the retiring Paul Quinn. First of all Paul has strong views on the big part maori rugby has to play in keeping rugby alive in New Zealand. He

says Maori All Black tours are essential to this because it gives players, other than the All Blacks, international experience.

And Paul says the All Blacks are under too much pressure to tour and it’s affecting some of their families with their men away. He believes a maori side can ease that pressure by taking the short good-will tours that All Blacks have been obliged to take, like the United States tour in 1978 and Fiji in 1980.

Paul says that as a leading rugby nation we owe it to the developing countries to help them improve their game by having longer tours. Places like Spain where the All Blacks would flit through, beat up the national side and be gone again.

“It does nothing for the All Black players and leaves the home side wondering what happened. The maoris can tour there, build up good-will and still promote New Zealand’s name because they are a national side.

That’s why the Maori tour to Wales was a success says Paul.

Players like Steve Pokere, who was in and out of All Black sides is now the first choice All Black centre. Kevin Boerovich and Scott Creighton also came through to the All Blacks.

And why not Paul Quinn?

Paul admits to a little disappointment at not making the top national team but isn’t bitter. He shrugs off the suggestion that lack of height ruled him out, saying he hoped selectors went on rugby ability and not physique. He tried out for the All Blacks only once and says he obviously didn’t catch the selectors eye.

Overseas Paul says every New Zealand team is seen as ‘The Blacks’. Because of this every game in Wales was tough.

“But you must remember, we lost by only six points to Wales. That same team went on to beat England and Scotland.”

People’s expectations of the 82 Wales tour were too high says Paul, just because it had been 50 years since a maori team had toured there. And because of this it was hard to live up to that expectation.

“I was pleased with my own form on tour,” Paul says, “but another couple of players could have gone. Guys like Canterbury number eight, Dale Atkins, he was unlucky to miss out. And of course Hika was injured and unavailable to tour, while loose forward Colin Cooper was injuried in the second week.”

But kiwis like winners, they expect their teams to win all the time says Paul. He thinks the attitude is unreasonable, because players give up time and money for the game. He says if people want winners, they must expect to pay for them.

“I definately think there’s a place for pro-rugby. Unfortunately there’s a ‘village common’ attitude toward rugby where you’re seen to be just going out with a ball and playing a game.

“But players need time to practice and develop these skills, and if people want to watch rugby, then they must pay.”

The old times are gone says Paul.

“Take Kiri Te Kanawa for example. She gets paid for what she enjoys doing. Her skill is singing. If people want to hear her sing then they must pay for it.

“It’s this way with sport nowadays. Even the Olympics is supposed to be the epitome of amateurism. But some of those athletes are the highest paid sports people in the w0r1d.... Why not?”

They should get paid says Paul.

“Rugby is a skill and jokers train hard for it... I used to train three nights a week and all day Saturday was used up. Then you do your own training, if you want to keep up at the top and are trying to give that little bit extra. I left

the office at five o’clock and didn’t get home until eight. That’s what I mean about putting in the hours.”

And has Paul been approached to play pro-rugby.

“I haven’t, but I would consider it if the price was right.”

At this time of retirement Paul looks back to what got him started in the field of sport.

Born in Wellington, his father Ngati Awa, his mother Irish, Paul moved with the family to a farming life on the Takapau plains.

He reflects that as a boy he enjoyed the life, thriving on the hard work and peaceful surroundings. He attended Waipukurau Primary before moving onto Masterton and the St Joseph Boarding College at the age of twelve.

Here the sporting opportunities were rich. Cricket and tramping were keen pursuits, with junior table tennis and senior swimming championships to his credit. Training with ex-All Black Grant Batty on the school first fifteen was an early indication of a rugby future.

After leaving school Paul gained a degree in Agriculture and Commerce at Lincoln College, drove trucks for a short while and then worked in economic research at the Reserve Bank before moving to the Department of Maori Affairs. For two years he worked as a community officer in the Poneke kokiri unit before taking up the position of Director, Wellington District.

It was on moving to Wellington that Paul began his long and successful association with Wellington rugby.

Paul began with Marist St Pats club and led them to the provincial championships in 1981. That year Wellington also lifted the Ranfurly Shield from Waikato.

Paul doesn’t think his retirement will affect the Wellington team as he says there are a lot of good players around to replace him.

But a former team mate, Gerard Wilkinson says, Paul will be missed.

He says, Paul could get the best out of the players, especially when things were tough.

“He would come up and say, come on Gerard you’re not pulling your weight, now lets get in there.”

That was Pauls way, Gerard says, he didn’t give you a blasting in front of the other guys.

“Brian (McGratten) and I respected him a lot and so did the All Blacks that play for Wellington,” says Gerard, “Bernie (Fraser) liked to clown around a bit, but when Paul gave the word he would knuckle under.”

And even off the field, Paul was popular with his team mates says Gerard. He didn’t abuse his captaincy and the boys appreciated that.

But Paul wasn’t always easy to get along with he says.

In 1979 Gerard joined the Marist St Pats seniors where Paul was already an established senior player.

“We regarded him as one of the older players and looked up to him, but he was a hard person to speak to.”

“Even in the club rooms after a game he’d just keep to himself and wouldn’t mix with us younger ones.”

He was a difficult man to get along with, Gerard says, but when he became captain he changed and was more sociable.

“Yeah, we’re really gonna miss him,” says Gerard.

So what’s Paul doing with his spare time now?

He’s taken to the water.

“I’ve been yachting for the past three years,” he says, it’s a great way of relaxing.”

Paul crews on a friends yacht as well as owning a small motor sailer.

Paul has no plans on making a comeback, nor does he intend writing a book.

“I will get back into rugby in some form or another, probably coaching.”