Men of the Silver Fern - Trouble in the Engine Room (1925 - 1956)

The second episode of this 1992 celebration of New Zealand rugby looks at the period from 1925 - 1956, as depression and war affected the national game. Scrum rules changed — outlawing the wing forward position, pioneered by the Kiwis — and NZ found itself chasing the pack: the no-longer-invincible All Blacks regularly came out losers playing against South Africa. The Springbok was finally felled in a series by the Kiwis in 1956 (played at home in front of huge, manic crowds). All Black Peter Jones famously summed it up the achievement post match: “I’m absolutely buggered”. 

A lot of the chaps I played with had very little, a lot of the chaps I toured with had very little. These were sad years, and at the same time the friendship and comradeship and also the incentive was still there: it was still a great game, and it was still a great honour to be picked for club, your province or your country … irrespective of the depression.

– Sir Harcourt Caughey on playing rugby during the depression

Key Cast & Crew

Lloyd Scott

Narrator

Peter Coates

Writer, Producer, Director

Keith Quinn

Interviewer, Producer

Ces Blazey

Producer

Ivan Vodanovich

Producer

Grahame Thorne

Interviewer