Arran Pene

That Arran Pene was a loose forward of quality can be gauged from the fact that for a significant period during the 1992-93 seasons he was preferred as the test No 8 to his contemporary, the great Zinzan Brooke.

More in the mould of another champion No 8 Wayne Shelford, Pene was a hard driving forward who made full use of his strong physique (1.91m tall and 114kg) to break advantage lines.

Originally from Waikato, Pene followed the well trodden path south to study at Otago University. He made the Otago representative side in 1988 but in his early years had trouble earning a consistent starting spot for in those seasons Otago were well served in back row forwards, with Mike Brewer, Brent Pope and Paul Henderson an especially effective loose trio.

But he gradually gained ground mainly at Pope's expense and by 1990, when he had the first of his six All Black trials, had become a provincial regular. When his Otago coach Laurie Mains succeeded to the All Black position in 1992 Pene, having had by then four seasons with Otago, was one of those promoted to the national side.

He played in the three centenary matches early in 1992 against the World XV then in the two tests against Ireland. He started impressively with a try in each of the second and third matches against the World XV and a double in the second test rout of Ireland at Athletic Park. However, those four tries were to remain the only ones he managed for the All Blacks in an international career which brought him 26 matches and 15 test caps.

Pene played the first test in 1992 against the Wallabies in Sydney but was then replaced at No 8 for the remaining matches in the series and in the one-off international against the Springboks in Johannesburg.

His only other test that season was as a replacement for the injured Kevin Schuler in the second match of the Bledisloe Cup series.

But in 1993 he took over at No 8 from Brooke for the final test against the touring British Lions, the other domestic tests against Manu Samoa and the Wallabies and in the internationals on the end of season tour to England and Scotland.

In 1994, though, Brooke was starting to come into his own and Pene's only tests that year were the first against France at Christchurch, which brought a decisive loss, and two others which were as replacements against France in the second tests and in the first test against the Springboks.

That ended Pene's All Black career. Despite playing for the South Island in the temporarily revived interisland fixture, captaining a New Zealand XV against France and being captain of one of the final trial teams he was overlooked for the World Cup squad. It was Pene's ill luck that for the first three World Cups squads were restricted to just 26.

Adaptability was a premium therefore and because of their greater versatility Brewer and Schuler were preferred to Pene.

Pene was a man of considerable mana with obvious leadership ability. He only played for the New Zealand Maori in 1993-94, but in those eight matches which included a game against the Lions and a four-game tour of South Africa he was captain in every one. In 1993 he was awarded the Tom French Cup as the season's outstanding Maori player.

Pene played 111 matches over eight seasons for Otago. The highlights included being in the side which won the NPC first division title in 1991 and the back to back wins of 1993-94 against the Lions and the Springboks.

He also produced a mighty display along with team-mate Jamie Joseph in their last games for Otago, the NPC final against Auckland at Eden Park in 1995 which has become celebrated, or infamous in Otago's eyes, because of the late penalty try award by referee Colin Hawke which enabled Auckland to win narrowly.

It was a performance which emphasised just how much of a loss to New Zealand rugby were both Pene and Joseph, who each left the country to take up contracts in Japan.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.