Born at Dannevirke

Te Ao Hou, September 1965, Page 5

Born at Dannevirke Nahi Paewai was born at Dannevirke on June 8, 1920, son of Nireaha Paewai, leading member of that very well known and widely respected Maori family. He was educated at Dannevirke High School and at Otago University from which he graduated M.B., Ch.B. While he was at Otago he became widely known as a Rugby player of exceptional talent, tough, courageous, intelligent. Many claim him as being in the first half-dozen half-backs New Zealand has ever produced, a few say he was the best of them all. The record of his representative Rugby career shows also his movements round the country. He represented Otago, New Zealand Universities, the South Island, Auckland, the North Island, Wellington, New Zealand Army and New Zealand Maoris. Later he moved into Rugby administration, serving on the Maori Advisory Board from Nahi Paewai and his wife Hineapa. ‘Northlander’ photo 1945–1956 and on the Northland Rugby Union from 1953 to 1956. He was co-selector for the New Zealand Maori team in 1955 and 1956. Since 1958 he has been a member of the Bay of Islands Rugby Union's judicial committee.