From the first, in the early to mid-70s when Graham Mourie was chosen for Wellington and the New Zealand Juniors, it was evident that he was an All Black captain in waiting.

And so it proved. After two tests in 1977 against the British Isles, he was chosen to lead the All Blacks on a tour of France and he continued in the job when he was available until the end of 1982.

One of Mourie’s greatest triumphs was leading the All Blacks on their first Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland in 1978.

A deceptively fast flanker with a rare ability to read a game, Mourie was regarded as the consummate captain on and off the field.

He showed another side to his character when, in 1981, he refused to play against South Africa because of its apartheid policy and because of the harm such a tour could cause to New Zealand.

Mourie in 1998 took over as coach of the Wellington team in the National Provincial Championship and in 2000, became coach of the Hurricanes in the Super 12.