Born: 14 February, 1965, in Waiuku, New Zealand.

Despite his first initial, Zinzan Valentine Brooke was a genuine X-factor player.

Once described by All Blacks team-mate Jeff Wilson as ‘a team in a number eight’s body’, Brooke had the skills of a back as well as possessing the dynamic power more normally associated with his position at the base of the scrum.

One of the few forwards from a leading rugby nation to have ever kicked a drop goal, Brooke is best remembered for a 38-metre effort against England in the semi-finals of Rugby World Cup 1995 and the historic series-clinching three-pointer a year later against the Springboks.

A Rugby World Cup winner at the age of 22 in 1987, Brooke appeared in three tournaments on his way to winning 58 caps for his country, 54 of them starts, in a test career spanning 12 years. His tally of 17 test tries was a record for a forward at the time.

Brooke represented the All Blacks 100 times in total, including 42 non-international matches, and played 22 times for the Māori All Blacks. He played alongside his younger brother Robin on many occasions for club and country, and as captain of the Auckland Blues, he led the team to back-to-back Super 12 titles in 1996 and 1997. A distinguished provincial career saw him play 140 games for Auckland where his flair and finesse saw him score an impressive 94 tries.

During his distinguished career, Zinzan Brooke also spent some time overseas, including a spell in Italy with Lazio and, as a player and then head coach, with Harlequins in England. After one season at Coventry in 2002/03, Brooke called time on his pro career.

Brooke’s impact in New Zealand’s sporting landscape was such that in 1997 he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) for services to rugby.