Rugby in the Ross family blood

Media Release

18 May 2011

Rugby in the Ross family blood

Living Legends is a community conservation project that is coordinating 17 native tree planting projects throughout New Zealand during Rugby World Cup 2011.

Each planting is being run in conjunction with provincial rugby unions and dedicated to a regional ‘Rugby Legend’ who has been selected by the union. These Rugby Legends are people who have made a significant contribution to rugby in New Zealand. Jock Ross has been selected as Mid/South Canterbury’s Rugby Legend.

There’s no doubt that rugby is in the blood in the Ross family. His son Isaac Ross is following in his footsteps as a fine All Black lock, wife Christine played for the Black Ferns and his three other sons have also both played provincial rugby and have represented the New Zealand Army while on overseas deployments.

He’s very proud of the family’s rugby achievements, particularly that grass-roots rugby is still so strong in New Zealand, with son Isaac and himself both becoming All Blacks from a minor rugby union.

At more than 2m tall, Jock Ross was one of the tallest All Black forwards of all time. Playing in the era before lifting in the lineouts, he used his impressive frame to win a lot of ball.

Jock played a record 158 matches for Mid Canterbury between 1970 and 1987. He also represented the Hanan Shield XV in 1977 against Otago, New Zealand Universities and the British Lions in Timaru. In 1980 Jock played 16 games for Canterbury and in 1981, at age 32, the All Black call up came for the end of year tour of France. While the Auckland duo of Andy Haden and Gary Whetton were first choice for the tests Jock won praise for his line-out prowess in the five All Black matches he played.

Jock has remained active in rugby since his competitive playing days ended. From 1990-1999 he played in all parts of the world with the Classic All Blacks and also gave his time to coaching the game. Most recently he also became involved as a television presenter for Toyota Grassroots Rugby and Heartland Rugby on Skysport and Prime.

Jock also spends a good deal of his time with his family, helping run the family transport business, farming, and is kept very busy with his 10 grandchildren.

Jock says the best piece of advice he ever received was to work hard to achieve his maximum potential in whatever he chose to do. When asked what he would now pass on to young people Jock says “take every opportunity to participate in the sport of your choice while you are young. It is often character building and involves discipline both of which are important going forward in life, particularly if your sport is a team sport”.

About Living Legends

Living Legends will plant almost 85,000 trees nationwide in 2011, and is making a five year investment to plant a total of 170,000 trees by the end of the project in 2015. The plantings all take place on public conservation land, and will encourage New Zealanders and overseas visitors to participate in the events. Plantings will be held in Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Wellington, Tasman, Buller/West Coast, Mid Canterbury, Christchurch, Otago and Southland. Living Legends is a joint venture of Project Crimson, an environmental charity with 20 years experience in community-based native restoration projects and The Tindall Foundation. We are thrilled to have the support of our major sponsors the Department of Conservation and Meridian Energy. Living Legends is also part of the REAL New Zealand Festival - a nationwide celebration of New Zealand arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, business and lifestyle taking place during Rugby World Cup 2011. About the Mid/South Canterbury Living Legends planting The location chosen for the Mid/South Canterbury planting initiative is the Harris Scientific Reserve, an 11-hectare kanuka sanctuary between Lovetts and Scales Road in the Windermere/Maronan area. On 4 September 2011, volunteers will plant 2500 additional native trees at this site as part of Living Legends programme of work. The reserve is one of the last stands of native kanuka in Canterbury. The 2.5ha paddock and its surrounding natural and undisturbed kanuka stand was purchased by the Ashburton District Council along with an adjoining 8ha paddock to the east. Forest and Bird were granted a “license to occupy” by the council on condition a trust was set up to manage the site. The total area of 10.5ha is now managed by the Ashburton Community Conservation Trust. The Trust has already planted the 2.5ha area within the natural kanuka border. The Living Legends planting on this site will not produce a lush and spectacular example of revegetation. This is a tough site where every plant must fight for its place against wind, cold and drought, which in itself is an important lesson that ecological value is not necessarily a reflection of eye appeal, a key reason why this site belongs in the project.

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