Kurow gets benched - in a good way!

Published on 09 August 2023

The All Blacks have gifted the birthplace of legendary Captain Richie McCaw a beautiful new handcrafted bench, one of 26 given to selected community locations across New Zealand, ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France this year.

The carved macrocarpa bench has been installed this week next to the trail running through the Mavis Shaw Reserve in Kurow with the message “Me eke mai – our bench is your bench”, and is intended as a thank you to New Zealand for “having their backs and supporting them...and hopefully providing a safe place where kiwis can also go to have each other's backs”. A statement from NZ Rugby says “On the rugby field, the bench is the backbone of the team, the players have the backs of the rest of the side. Off the field, a bench is a place for people to come together, to share and connect, to celebrate and commiserate.” “This bench is built on a kaupapa of manaaki, on the belief that if we uphold the mana of others and make them bigger than ourselves that we too will benefit”. The bench features an exclusive All Blacks Tohu as well as a message from the team. The Tohu for this project is part of NZ Rugby's whakapapa.

Ahuriri Community Board Chair Calum Reid says the bench “is a great addition to the village and the perfect spot to reflect a while and admire the beauty of Kurow. Hopefully this means the All Blacks will bring the Rugby World Cup to town for a tour when they win it in September”.

The Tohu engraved on the bench is part of NZ Rugby's whakapapa. It was designed by noted artist Tim Worrall (Ngāi Tūhoe) in 2011, to unite and inspire Aotearoa NZ to support the All Blacks.

The outer segments are Taniwhā (Teams), the inner the seed of potential (Te Kakanō) and they combine to form a rugby ball. When replicated they form a face (Moko) and a lattice work background (Kōwhaiwhai). The team (Taniwha) appear as wings (Parirau). At the centre are two kākanō (seeds of potential) in the shape of eyes of a bird (Manu).

Those seated on the bench will have the All Blacks' team wings wrapped around them.

ENDS