Even 50 years after his career, Cooke was still being described as one of the most instinctively brilliant backs seen in New Zealand, even by people who had never seen him play. He was said to have great pace off the mark, could kick with accuracy and had an extraordinary ability to turn the slightest vestige of a chance into a try.Cooke played 44 times for New Zealand between 1924 and 1930, including eight tests, and scored 38 tries.

On the Invincibles’ tour in 1924-25, he scored 23 tries in 25 matches, remarkable testimony to his and his team’s dominance. He was described thus: “As swift as a hare, as elusive as a shadow, strikes like lightning, flashes with brilliancy.” He also played for New Zealand at league, but returned to rugby to play for the air force at the age of 39.

Bill Mumm, played 85 matches in the blue-and-reds' front row or loose forwards division in his 104-game first-class career. He turned out against touring Wallabies and British Lions teams. Small for a prop, but immensely strong and nuggety, Mumm helped Buller achieve a 6-6 draw against Ranfurly Shield holder Otago in 1949 and also won numerous wood chopping titles. After hanging up his boots in 1955, he took up coaching and had two stints as Buller's selector coach as well as serving on the Buller Rugby Union committee. In later life, Bill Mumm was prominent in local government affairs and became chairman of the Buller County Council. His grandson Dean Mumm is a Wallaby Lock.

Bryan Williams, MBE (born 3 October 1950 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer and coach of the Samoan national rugby team.
His father was Samoan, and his mother a Rarotongan of Samoan descent and Williams went to school in Mt Albert Grammar School, where he started his rugby career. He became an All Black in 1970 as a wing and distinguished himself in the 1970 South African Rugby Tour where he was a sensation, scoring 14 tries in his 13 appearances and in the international series he scored in each of the first and fourth Tests. This was during apartheid, so with his parentage he was only able to tour after honorary white status was granted

Christian Mathias Cullen (born 12 February 1976 in Paraparaumu, New Zealand) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand (the All Blacks), for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and laterMunster at first-class level. He was nicknamed the Paekakariki Express. With 46 tries in 58 tests, Cullen is currently the 6th-highestinternational try scorer in rugby union history. He is generally regarded as one of the best full backs of all time, and one of the greatest All Blacks of his generation

Sir Colin Earl Meads, KNZM, MBE (born 3 June 1936), is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played 55 test matches (133 total games), most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 1971. Meads is widely considered one of the greatest players in history. Nicknamed 'Pinetree', he is an icon within New Zealand rugby, and was named the country's Player of the Century at the NZRFU Awards in 1999.

Sir Frederick "Fred" Richard Allen, KNZM, OBE (born 9 February 1920) is a former captain and coach of the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby union team. The All Blacks won all 14 of the test matches they played under his coaching.Allen was born in Oamaru, New Zealand. He was educated in Christchurch, where he played for the Linwood club, and at Auckland Grammar School, where he played for the 1st xv as a winger. After captaining the Canterbury Colts in 1938, he was selected for Canterbury in 1939. During World War II Allen served as a lieutenant in the 27th and 30th Battalions. He played for service teams including the 2nd NZEF "Kiwis" Army team that toured Britain following the war.When he returned to New Zealand he settled in Auckland, and was selected for the All Blacks in 1946. He continued to play for the All Blacks, and in 1949 was selected as captain for the 1949 tour to South Africa. Although each test match was very close, the All Blacks lost the series 4-0. Allen retired from playing after the series.Allen went on to coach, and was a selector-coach for Auckland during their Ranfurly Shield era of the late 1950s. He became an All Blacks selector, before becoming All Blacks coach in 1966. A fierce but very effective coach, Allen picked up the nickname of "The Needle". The All Blacks' reign under Allen was the team's most successful; they won all 14 of their tests with him as coach. The New Zealand Rugby Football Union awarded Allen the Steinlager Salver in 2002, and in 2005 Allen was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.On 7 June 2010, Allen was made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to rugby. He had previously been awarded an OBE in 1990

Keith Murdoch, a prop, played for Otago from 1964 to 1972, except for one season each for Hawke's Bay (1965) and Auckland (1966). He represented New Zealand from 1970–1972, playing in 27 matches for the All Blacks, including three test matches. He toured with the All Blacks to South Africa in 1970 and to Great Britain and Ireland in 1972, but was troubled by injury throughout both series.

Murdoch's career ended controversially and mysteriously. He scored the All Blacks' only try in their 1972 win against Wales in Cardiff, but later the same night was involved in a fracas in which he punched security guard Peter Grant, knocking him to the ground, as he attempted to enter into the famous rugby watering hole, The Angel Hotel which was closed at the time. He was latter sent home from the tour by All Black management, reputedly after pressure was brought to bear by the home rugby unions

Ken Gray (1938–1992) was a sheep farmer from Porirua, New Zealand. He represented New Zealand in Rugby, playing lock and later prop forward. He could play on either side of a scrum. In 1970, he refused to tour South Africa in protest at its policy of apartheid and resigned from the game. He was elected a Hutt County Councillor in 1971 and became a Porirua City Councillor in 1973 when the riding of the County he was the member for, joined Porirua City. Later he was elected to the Hutt Valley Energy Board and to The Wellinmgton Regional Council where he continued to serve until his unexpected death of a heart attack in 1992.( His brother Jim Gray also died of a heart attack in 1999). The Petone Rugby Club, where he played, commemorates him with the Ken Gray Academy. The Ken Gray Education Centre was established in a converted shearing shed on the Battle Hill Forest Farm, near the Gray family farm, Pauatahanui Inlet, after his death

Kevin Lawrence Skinner (born Thursday, 24 November 1927) is a former All Black who played in 20 international tests for New Zealand, 2 of them as captain. He was also a heavy weight boxer, winning the New Zealand championship in 1947

Peter Jones is regarded as one of the greatest loose forwards New Zealand has produced to date, playing 11 test matches between 1953 and 1960. At 18 years of age Jones entered first class Rugby when he turned out for North Auckland against Bay of Plenty in 1950, marking his debut by scoring two tries. At 1.88m tall and in his prime weighing in at 105 kgs Jones was an imposing figure with ball in hand, especially as his size was allied to a surprising turn of pace - reportedly capable of running 100 yards in well under 11 seconds. Jones toured Britain, France and the Pacific Coast of North America in 1953 playing 15 matches and scoring 10 tries. Jones played only two tests against the Australians in 1955 and 1956 but enjoyed a recall to the All Blacks for the third and fourth tests of the 1956 Springbok tour of New Zealand. Jones made a tremendous impact in both games, his try in the fourth now immortalised as one of the greatest forward tries of all time. At the end of his epic display in the win over the Springboks at Eden Park a radio microphone was placed in front of Jones as New Zealand celebrated what was a historic series triumph and asked “how did he feel?” Heedless of the fact he was talking on a nation-wide transmission, Jones instantly responded by saying “I’m absolutely buggered!” In the inhibited 1950’s any use of what were regarded as swear words was frowned upon, however, such was New Zealand’s euphoria, the supposed Jones breach of propriety went unchallenged.

Richard "Tiny" Alexander White QSO (born 11 June 1925) was a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played 23 tests and 55 games for the All Blacks.was educated at Gisborne Boys' High School and Feilding Agricultural High School. It was at school that he earned the ironic nickname tiny. White was regarded as tall by 1940's standards.