Henry Tatana

Your Say

• Garrick Hale
  4 May 2016 6:54pm

  Prior to the Third test in Sydney (1966, 1967?) the NZ players were staying at the Cecil Hotel, Cronulla. Henry, along with 2 other players, attended Sylvania Hts Primary School for a coaching clinic. Our choir teacher sent a message to Henry asking if he would teach the pupils a song. I said to him that she (the Teacher) was only joking, but he asked did we have a guitar. The result was every pupil at the school could sing Hoki Mai (spelling?), the whole 300 of them. What a man!

• Hone Ngawaka
  17 Aug 2021 10:25am

  Henry or Nardi as he was known then a close cousin of mine grew up in the very small settlement of Manukau in the far north of NZ. I played schoolboy rugby with him there in the mid 1950s. A combined maori schools team from Whangape/ Herekino/ Manukau on the west coast out from Kaitaia. Nardi was captain and goalkicker and had a largish dark mole on his forehead that we all pressed for luck when he had a shot at goal. His Father Lisen Tatana was the coach. Later on he moved to Auckland and was a star player with Glenora and Mt Albert Lions, then Auckland and the NZ Kiwis. A big strong prop and prodigous goalkicker. Moved to Australia early 70s to play professionally with Cant Bankstown and then St George. Finished footy as player Coach at Cessnock. I believe he had a trucking business in later years and know that he did have a slice of luck with an Opera House Lottery win. A gentle giant off the field very well liked and respected who passed away too early.

• Mark
  7 Jan 2024 2:49pm

  Henry is part of Australian slang usually associated with golf “whose your Henry Tatana” as in playing partner

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