RWC All Black 2007: Keven Mealamu
Keven Mealamu was born in the Waikato town of Tokoroa on the 20th March 1979. To date he has played in 47 tests for the All Blacks scoring a total of 40 points. Described as an accurate line-out thrower and a strong scrummager, Mealamu is said to be equally comfortable in the running game where his skills and background make him almost a fourth loose forward.
Where are your favourite spots in New Zealand?
Tauranga and Mt Maunganui have a lot of things to do and I also like to take my wife shopping in Wellington.
What do you do in your spare time?
I'm a family man, so if I do get time to take my wife out we usually go to Sky City in Auckland. They've got some good restaurants at the top of the tower - a bit of a view as well, and it's a beautiful dinner.
The good thing about New Zealand is that you've got different climates, so there are a lot of different things you can do whether it's skiing or swimming. I'm not good on the skis but I love swimming and there are lots of beaches around the country.
Why do you think New Zealand produces such good rugby players?
I think New Zealand produces good rugby players because of the diversity in our team. People in New Zealand get along really well considering the amount of different cultures we have. Because we're able to do that, it makes us quite a good rugby side. No matter what background they come from, Samoan, Fijian, Tongan, European, the guys get along really well and it makes us a lot different to a lot of other teams.
What does the haka mean to you?
It's about getting us mentally prepared. Everyone does the haka for different reasons but for me it's just presenting a challenge to the opposition. It's an All Black tradition and it's something I used to watch when I was little. You probably learnt the haka in the backyard when you were five or six years old. So it's actually quite nice to grow up and do something that a lot of New Zealand children dream about doing. For me it's a great honour.
What's your favourite food?
Probably my dad’s roast! He cooks every Sunday and gets all the family along to the family house. He cooks a lot of traditional Samoan food as well. So, probably not the best nutrition wise but it always tastes really good - good things in small quantities.
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