Mark Robinson: New Zealand Rugby CEO on the passing of Dr John Mayhew

Former All Blacks and Warriors doctor John Mayhew has died.

North Harbour Rugby have announced his passing after recent heart complications.

He was 70.

Dr Mayhew served as North Harbour's inaugural doctor from 1986, before being appointed as the All Blacks doctor from 1988 to 2004 - a period encompassing more than 200 matches and later moving to the Warriors.

In 2016, Dr. Mayhew was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to sports medicine.

North Harbour Rugby chief executive Adrian Donald says it's devastating news for the rugby community.

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB Bad.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Nine minutes after seven in New Zealand Rugby chief executive
Officer Mark Robinson to join us.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Now, good evening, Mark, Evan Darsie. Super sad day.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
The passing of doctor John Mayhew always comes as surprise
someone that's had a huge amount to do with sport,
specifically rugby over the years. This is a sad day,
a great loss for the community.

Speaker 4 (00:39):
Yeah, I mean you covered at well Darcy were obviously
incredibly sad to.

Speaker 5 (00:45):
Learn of this news earlier today.

Speaker 4 (00:48):
He had a massive impact, you know, across the game
at many many levels.

Speaker 5 (00:55):
You know, he's.

Speaker 4 (00:55):
Obviously deeply respected in the North Harbor region where he's
been connected to the game for a very long time
and had an amazing tenure with New Zealand Rugby and
the All Blacks where he looked after you know, a
whole whole generation of players and serve the team with
sort of massive distinctions. So yeah, and he'll be sadly

(01:18):
Mercy's gone on you know since that time, you know,
over fifteen years with the All Blacks and then onto
you know, different sports and he's he was back with
the Rugby Foundation doing amazing work in that brain and
concussion research space. So just a huge servant to the game,
deeply cared for and loved.

Speaker 5 (01:33):
You know, across all levels of the game. We're going
to miss him.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Something old merse as well, the fact that he was
so intense on the research and too brain problems into
concussion problems. He was very well read, very learned. It
always bring the information that you required, and this was
something that he was at like a terrier all the time.
It says how much he values this kind of research

(01:57):
for the game and of course the players, including his
family who played the game as well. He wasn't just
sitting there watching.

Speaker 5 (02:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (02:06):
I mean he was a true rugby man, wasn't he
He was. He was someone that he just loved the.

Speaker 5 (02:11):
Game and wanted to be involved at all levels. I
just say he had he's very very proud dad of
kids playing at a high level. And you know, I.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
Remember he was he was a doctor of the of
the All Blacks when I was in the team, and
he just had a lovely sort of nature about him
in terms of hugely professional and caring of people. Had
a nice sense of humor and a great sense of
banter you around players, but but very professional in his

(02:45):
standards and how he was always searching too for new
ways of care and understanding, keeping up with the pace
of the development of you know that that medical space
and sports right, So his time with the team, so
he was just a special guy. You know that we're
lucky in New Zealand rugby and at many levels that
we have people that give back to the game, and

(03:05):
he was.

Speaker 5 (03:05):
He was one of the best in the space.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
And he was around for such a long time as
part of the furniture like that was nineteen eighty eight
through the two thousand and four hundred and thirty one Test,
over two hundred matches.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
That says a lot about not only his ability as
a doctor, but as he touched on Mark Robinson, the
fact that he's such a lovely bloke people.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
Wanted to be around him. Such a wonderful addition to
have to any team. Someone like that.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
Yeah, he yeah, like I said before, he had just
a nice feel.

Speaker 5 (03:39):
He knew.

Speaker 4 (03:42):
You know, his first obligations obviously as a dock and
the team was to take care of people and look
after them and have the utmost highest levels of professionalism,
but he also had that ability step away, have a laugh,
build great friendships, and through that he developed a huge
amount of trust in the environments and was just someone

(04:02):
that was always good to be around, so and a
great thing right through that time. Even after finished with
you all Blacks to go on and lead some of
the work and be such a strong advocate of the
game and athlete here on the Rugby Foundation.

Speaker 5 (04:18):
I know he's a huge st there that'll be missed also.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
So he was just someone that never never stopped serving
and never stopped giving Darcy And as I've said a
number of times, we're going to really miss him, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
We will.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Indeed, I was blown away to find out that he
began his association with North Harbor nineteen eighty five, the
union's doctors since its inception, so definitely completely old school
has been around a while, and as you said, he'll
be sorely missed by everybody in the community.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Mark, thanks for joining.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
Us, Thanks Darcie, Thank you for more from Sports Talk.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Listen live to News Talks it'd be from seven pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.