Those who believe that the modern role of a hooker as exemplified nowadays by Keven Mealamu and Corey Flynn started with Sean Fitzpatrick in the late 1980s may have forgotten an equally dynamic player earlier in that decade, Bay of Plenty's Hika Reid.

A product of Ngongotaha near Rotorua, Reid toured Australia as an unknown 22-year old in 1980, owing his selection in large measure to the unavailability of then then test incumbent, Andy Dalton. Reid proved a major success on an otherwise forgettable tour in which the Bledisloe Cup series was lost.

But that was not the fault of Reid. A converted loose forward, the chunkily built Reid maintained a lively work rate and his ability to break in the open and link with the backs was rewarded with a spectacular try in the second test win in Brisbane. Unfortunately, an injury ruled him out of the third test.

Though Dalton returned for the tour later in 1980 of Wales Reid was also in the touring party and was preferred for the one-off international. That, though, was to be the only occasion when Reid had the edge in selection over Dalton.

From 1981 through to 1985 Reid served as Dalton's understudy in test series against South Africa, Australia, the British Lions and England at home and on the tours of France (1981) and again to Australia in 1984.

That was supposed to be the pecking order for the tour of South Africa in 1985 and following the cancellation they were together with the Cavaliers on the unauthorised tour the following year. Because of Dalton's injury Reid became the Cavaliers' first choice and played all of the matches against the Springboks, though these have never been given even first class status, let alone recognition as proper tests.

However, Dalton's unavailability for the 1983 tour of Scotland and England and also for Argentina in 1985 meant Reid received his test chances then. He also replaced Fitzpatrick for the last two tests of the 1986 series against the Wallabies after serving a two-test suspension for going on the Cavaliers' tour.

But late in 1986 on the tour of France he was supplanted for both internationals by Fitzpatrick and he was overlooked for both Dalton and Fitzpatrick for the 1987 World Cup and was never an All Black again.

In all Reid played 40 matches for the All Blacks including nine tests. He was unfortunate in that his playing days clashed firstly with Dalton and then Fitzpatrick and was also unlucky to play at a time when game opportunities for bench players were not as frequent as they have become with relaxed substitution rules.

Reid's last involvement with a national side was with New Zealand Maori on the 1987-88 tour of Europe and Argentina. That was some consolation for Reid who was in several Maori selections in the 1980s but had missed through injury the tour in 1982 of Wales and Spain. Reid was twice a winner of the Tom French Cup for the season's outstanding Maori player, in 1980 and 1983. His other national honours came with the New Zealand Colts in 1979, for the North Island in 1983-84 and in five All Blacks trials in 1981-82-83-85-87.

Reid, educated at Western Heights High School (1st XV 1973-77), entered the Bay of Plenty representative side as a 20-year old in 1978 and until the 1987 season played 85 games for the union. In 1988-89 he had 25 games for Wellington, having an outstanding match in the 38-22 win over Wales in 1988. In later years Reid spent many seasons playing and coaching overseas. In 2003 he took up an appointment as rugby development officer for the Bay of Plenty Union.

Grandson of J Hikatarewa who represented N Z Maori in Australia and New Zealand in 1913.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Hikatarewa Rockcliffe Reid

BORN

Tuesday, 8 April 1958 in Rotorua

AGE

52

PHYSICAL

1.80m, 95kg

POSITION

Hooker

LAST SCHOOL

Western Heights High

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Ngongotaha

PROVINCE

Bay of Plenty

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Wednesday, 4 June 1980
v South Australia at Adelaide
aged 22 years, 57 days

INTERNATIONAL DEBUT

Saturday, 21 June 1980
v Australia at Sydney
aged 22 years, 74 days

LAST TEST

Saturday, 6 September 1986
v Australia at Auckland
aged 28 years, 151 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

9 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

31 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

40 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK TEST POINTS

8pts (2t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

24pts (6t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

32pts (8t, 0c, 0p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

809

The All Black Games that Reid played.
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1980

 4 Jun vs South Australia at Adelaide 75-3  

 7 Jun vs Victoria at Melbourne 45-6  

 14 Jun vs N.S.W. at Sydney 12-4  

 21 Jun vs Australia at Sydney 9-13  

 28 Jun vs Australia at Brisbane 12-9  

 6 Jul vs Queensland at Brisbane 3-9  

 8 Jul vs A.C.T. at Canberra 48-15 (-) 

 11 Oct vs Canada at Vancouver 43-10  

 21 Oct vs Llanelli at Llanelli 16-10  

 25 Oct vs Swansea at Swansea 32-0  

 1 Nov vs Wales at Cardiff 23-3  

1981

 20 Oct vs Romania South at Constanza 25-9  

 31 Oct vs Auvergne Selection at Clermont-Ferrand 18-10  

 7 Nov vs French Barbarians at Bayonne 28-18  

 11 Nov vs Rousillon-Languedoc Selection at Perpignan 6-6  

 17 Nov vs Charentes-Poitou Selection at La Rochelle 17-13  

1983

 29 Oct vs South of Scotland at Galashiels 30-9  

 2 Nov vs Northern Division at Gateshead 27-21  

 8 Nov vs Midland Division at Leicester 13-19  

 12 Nov vs Scotland at Edinburgh 25-25  

 19 Nov vs England at London 9-15  

1984

 4 Jul vs Queensland B at Brisbane 37-0  

 11 Jul vs South Australia at Adelaide 99-0  

 15 Jul vs Western Australia at Perth 72-0 (+) 

 17 Jul vs Victoria at Melbourne 65-3  

 25 Jul vs A.C.T. at Canberra 40-16  

 31 Jul vs N.S.W. Country at Tamworth 21-3  

 8 Aug vs Queensland Country at Surfers Paradise 88-0  

 14 Aug vs N.S.W. B at Gosford 21-15  

 20 Oct vs Western XV at Nadi 32-10  

 27 Oct vs Fiji at Suva 45-0  

1985

 15 Oct vs Rosario Selection at Fisherton 28-9  

 22 Oct vs Cordoba Selection at Cordoba 72-9  

 26 Oct vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 33-20  

 2 Nov vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 21-21  

1986

 23 Aug vs Australia at Dunedin 13-12  

 6 Sep vs Australia at Auckland 9-22  

 26 Oct vs Selection du Centre at Clermont-Ferrand 23-19  

 1 Nov vs Rousillon-Languedoc Selection at Perpignan 59-6  

 11 Nov vs French Barbarians at La Rochelle 26-12  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Australia, 28 Jun 1980

1

-

-

-

4

vs Wales, 1 Nov 1980

1

-

-

-

4

vs A.C.T., 25 Jul 1984

2

-

-

-

8

vs Queensland Country, 8 Aug 1984

2

-

-

-

8

vs N.S.W. B, 14 Aug 1984

1

-

-

-

4

vs Rousillon-Languedoc Selection, 1 Nov 1986

1

-

-

-

4

Totals

8

0

0

0

32

Test Record by Nation

P

W

D

L

t

c

p

dg

pts

Argentina

2

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

Australia

4

2

-

2

1

-

-

-

4

England

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

Scotland

1

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

Wales

1

1

-

-

1

-

-

-

4

Totals

9

4

2

3

2

0

0

0

8