Gerald Kember at Eden Park in 2021. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Photosport.nz
Gerald Kember, who made 19 appearances for the All Blacks between 1967 and 1970, has died. He was 78.
A fullback and second five-eighth, Kember, who was a talented schoolboy player in Nelson, played just one test.
His sole appearance in an international was at fullback against the Springboks in the fourth test in Johannesburg in 1970.
It was also Kember's last match for the All Blacks.
The rest of his appearances for the All Blacks were in fixtures that were not internationals. Kember toured with the All Blacks to the northern hemisphere in 1967, and three years later was picked for the tour of South Africa.
Kember played his provincial rugby for Wellington.
Rugby historian Lindsay Knight noted on the All Blacks.com website that Kember frequently made himself unavailable for major rugby commitments to concentrate on university studies, and then, when he graduated, on his job as a lawyer.
Kember, who also played for the NZ Universities side, played 104 first-class games.
Members of the Wellington rugby side wore black armbands as a sign of respect for Kember during the NPC clash against Hawke's Bay in Wellington on Saturday.
This story was originally published by Stuff.