Keith Reid [All Black #365]

Keith Reid was one of those comparatively short, stocky men (1.73m tall and about 82kg) who as the hookers formed the front row in the old 2-3-2 scrum formation.

He was a stalwart member of Wairarapa teams in one of the greatest eras enjoyed by one of the country’s smaller unions. Making his debut in 1920 as a teenager, Reid played for Wairarapa until 1935, by which time he was well into his 30s.

He played 108 first class games, of which 91 were for Wairarapa, a remarkable total in years when provincial programmes were sparse.

Reid also had a season living in Palmerston North and made four appearances for Manawhenua in 1925 when briefly the Manawatu and Horowhenua unions combined for representative matches. That season he also appeared against the touring New South Wales Waratahs for a combined Wellington-Manawatu-Horowhenua selection.

In the late 20s and early 30s Wairarapa had a superb run with the Ranfurly Shield and Reid was involved in 11 matches, either as a challenger or defender. He was in the team which ended Hawke’s Bay’s record reign in 1927 but missed the return match, the legendary Battle of Solway. However, he was in the Wairarapa side which one year later again lifted the shield, 8-7 from Canterbury.

Reid was also in the Wairarapa-Bush side which lost in 1930 to the touring Great Britain side.

His only season as an All Black was on the 1929 tour of Australia when he played in five of the matches, including the first and third tests.

Three other Wairarapa players, Clinton Stringfellow, Rewa Cundy and Wattie Reside were also on that tour and it appears they must have done something wrong to offend someone in officialdom.

For it was the first and only time the Wairarapa quartet were All Blacks. The series in 1929, of course, was lost 3-0 but any perception that the Wairarapa men were made the scapegoats was perhaps a coincidence.

Reid remained a passionate rugby man all his life, turning to coaching and administration after he had finished playing. He had two terms as the Wairarapa representative selector-coach, which included lifting the Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury in 1950, and after serving the union as president in 1950-59 was made a life member.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.