Despite having a tiny build, even by the standards of the 1970s when training with weights was unheard of and, in fact, discouraged, Greg Rowlands had a long and successful career in first class rugby.

Orginally a first five eighths who started with Bay of Plenty in 1969, Rowlands switched to fullback during the 1974 season and adapted quickly to the position even if his lack of height - he was only 1.70m - meant he could be exploited under high kicks. But his background as an inside back gave him considerable skills and he was also a lively attacker as well as an acccurate goal kicker.

As a first five Rowlands played in All Blacks trials in each of the 1970 and 1971 seasons and in 1971 and 1972 he was in Bay sides which proved competitive against the British Lions and Wallaby touring teams.

He reappeared in All Black trials as a fullback in 1974 and then had trials in each of the 1975-76-77 seasons. He was also fullback in the North Island side which played the South and from that won selection in the second All Black side of 1976 which toured Argentina.

Rowlands shared the fullback duties with Richard Wilson and in four matches he scored 44 points from 10 conversions and eight penalties. Rowlands, however, was preferred for both the unofficial tests against the Pumas.

That was Rowlands' only involvement with the All Blacks, though he did come close to a full test cap in the one-off international against Scotland in 1975 at Eden Park.He was placed on standby when Joe Karam, who had suffered an injury, was in doubt for the match. However, Karam recovered in time to take his place.

Rowlands' best rugby was with Bay of Plenty whom he represented until the 1982 season. He played 161 matches for the union, a Bay record, and scored 1008 points, also a record for the union, five times exceeding a century of points in a season.

He was in a superb Bay backline which contained others who became All Blacks in John Brake, Mark Taylor and centre Eddie Stokes. This backline helped give the Bay an edge which made them one of the best sides in the country in the mid 1970s, climaxing in the 1976 NPC first division championship win.

Rowlands captained the Bay in 1977, leading the province against the touring Lions. One of his last major matches was for the Bay in 1981 when the side ran the touring Springboks close.

After he had retired in the early 1980s Rowlands stayed prominent in the game on the Otumoetai Cadets committee and as a radio comments man in the Bay. His father, E H Rowlands, represented King Country 1945.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME

Gregory David Rowlands

BORN

Wednesday, 10 December 1947 in Rotorua

AGE

62

PHYSICAL

1.70m, 74kg

POSITION

Fullback

LAST SCHOOL

Tauranga Boys' College

RUGBY CLUB
(First made All Blacks from)

Otumoetai Cadets

PROVINCE

Bay of Plenty

ALL BLACK DEBUT

Saturday, 16 October 1976
v Buenos Aires Selection at Buenos Aires
aged 28 years, 311 days

ALL BLACK TESTS

0 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAMES

4 (0 as Captain)

TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES

4 (0 as Captain)

ALL BLACK GAME POINTS

44pts (0t, 10c, 8p, 0dg, 0m)

TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS

44pts (0t, 10c, 8p, 0dg, 0m)

ALL BLACK NUMBER

769

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

Click on the date to be taken to the Match Card

1976

 16 Oct vs Buenos Aires Selection at Buenos Aires 24-13  

 23 Oct vs Club Athletico San Isidro at Buenos Aires 37-3  

 30 Oct vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 21-9  

 6 Nov vs Argentina at Buenos Aires 26-6  

Points scored for the All Blacks

t

c

p

dg

pts

vs Buenos Aires Selection, 16 Oct 1976

-

1

2

-

8

vs Club Athletico San Isidro, 23 Oct 1976

-

5

1

-

13

vs Argentina, 30 Oct 1976

-

2

3

-

13

vs Argentina, 6 Nov 1976

-

2

2

-

10

Totals

0

10

8

0

44

Rowlands played in no test matches for the All Blacks.