2007 RWC All Black: Keith Robinson
Keith Robinson was born in the small town of Te Aroha in the Waikato on the 14th of December 1976. He has played 10 tests for the All Blacks and has been described as an abrasive, no-nonsense lock. He made his test debut against England in London in 2002 but after three tests had to wait another 18 months to be recalled in 2004.
What is your favourite place in New Zealand?
Te Aroha is a pretty nice place, it's my hometown. I've got a lot of friends and family there. I also enjoy the Coromandel Peninsula. Generally the whole family heads up there as my parents have a bach there. We live on the beach, eating seafood, having barbecues and a few beers, just enjoying each others company really.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I enjoy hanging out with my family; I've got a couple of young daughters. Also I like hunting, fishing and diving.
Why do you think New Zealand produces such good rugby players?
The All Blacks were always very dominant and very physical. They were farmers back then, hard workers. We're only a small country but we'll fight to the death and we'll do whatever it takes to win. We will always back ourselves; it's just been passed on. There are a lot of guys over the years who have paved the way. As an All Black you don't want to let the public down, so anyone who wears the black jersey is under a bit of pressure.
What does the haka mean to you?
It's a time where you can make the patch of dirt you are standing on, your own. No matter where you are. You pull your energy through the ground and let it come out with your emotion. You are representing yourself, your family. You don't want to do it half-hearted, you want to get in there and show what it means to you and who you are representing. So it's a pretty important part of the game for me just letting the opposition know what I'm about.
How important is the 2007 Rugby World Cup to you?
I think every New Zealand rugby player wants to be in an All Black team that wins a World Cup. It's the ultimate and the whole world has made it the ultimate competition.
It would be fantastic to make the squad that went to the World Cup for a start, then to play in the final would be awesome but you've got to take a lot of steps to get there. If you slip up in your game, the World Cup could be over. So we've got to stay in the 'now', just concentrate on one game at a time and make sure we nail each game and the World Cup thing will just happen.
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