2007 RWC All Black: Byron Kelleher
Byron Kelleher was born in Dunedin on the third of December 1976. He has been described as a feisty halfback and a strong physical player who can play as an additional loose forward or break the lines with a bursting run. He made his test debut against Samoa in 1999 and has since represented New Zealand in 54 tests, scoring a total of 35 test points.
What are your favourite places in New Zealand?
I base myself in Tauranga; it’s got beautiful beaches and scenery. Also, it’s close to lots of islands and the Coromandel area, which is great for diving and fishing. It has great weather, good people and good cafes and restaurants.
What do you do in your spare time?
I enjoy fishing and diving. If I had the chance I’d like to ski, but unfortunately in the All Blacks it’s a banned sport for us. One of the good things about New Zealand is the ski fields. Queenstown and Wanaka are remarkable. We get great snow and it’s a great place to be, with beautiful scenery.
Why do you think New Zealand produces such good rugby players?
I think the fact that New Zealand is such a small country and the provinces are not too far away from one another means we can integrate a lot more than teams from other countries. It’s always great when a group of guys come together and understand one another.
Did you grow up watching rugby?
Yes I did. Being born and bred in New Zealand and growing up in this rugby environment, it dominates New Zealand culture. The All Blacks are probably the pinnacle in terms of representing New Zealand, so to be a part of that, not only the history that we have, but the history we are creating is fantastic.
What does the haka mean to you?
The haka represents my family and friends and my loved ones, people that have gone before me, and expressing myself at the time. It’s also about our group who are performing the haka, the guy that’s beside you and the thoughts that are going through his head.
Then there’s the cultural aspect. We respect, as All Blacks, the Maori culture that lays deep in the soil. But it’s not just about the Maori culture. New Zealand’s a very international country; we’ve got Samoans, Tongans, Rarotongans, Fijians and a lot of Europeans, so we’re all integrating.
Watching the haka as a child was a pretty exciting thing, it’s pretty unique to New Zealand. In 2004 we discussed how we could grow the true meaning of the haka, and get it back to the ritual and the mana it possessed. We felt it had become a performance as opposed to a ritual.
So we decided to create a new haka that was about us at the moment, and expressing ourselves, but also for the youth that’s coming through to understand and try and grow them together so they become stronger.
How important is the 2007 World Cup to you?
I’ve been to two World Cups, and failed. There’s some good scarring in the back of my mind.
That’s why I’ve lingered around on New Zealand soil and been here and been persistent with trying to get to the top spot in the halfback position. To be part of a team that is a world champion team is the pinnacle, and to hold that trophy would be the cherry on top of the cake.
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