IWI: Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Ruanui

MARAE:

BIRTHPLACE: Rotorua (13 December 1957)

RUGBY

His Father was Natanahira Eruera Shelford and his mother was McLennan from Dunedin, he has one brother Darrel a former professional rugby union and rugby league footballer, and coach.

He married Joanne (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Kahu) they have two children, a daughter Lia a son Eru and whangai son Mitchell Haapu.

Is a former All Black and Māori All Black rugby player and coach and was raised in Rotorua where he played for Western Heights High School First XV, and for the Bay of Plenty Secondary Schools.

Shifting to Auckland he played Auckland age grade sides, and made his Auckland provincial debut in 1982.

Shelford enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Navy as a physical training instructor (PTI), playing rugby for the Navy team.

In 1985, when the North Harbour Rugby Union was created, he moved to the North Shore Rugby Club. This was the same year he was first selected for the All Blacks, for the later abandoned South Africa tour.

In 1986 He joined the unauthorised Cavaliers' tour of South Africa. Shelford made his Test debut for the All Blacks later that year against France.

In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in New Zealand. Shelford played in five of the six All Blacks games and was a member of the team that won the final against France 29–9.

Shelford took over as All Black captain after the World Cup, first captaining the side during the 1987 tour of Japan. During his captaincy from 1987 to 1990, the All Blacks did not lose a game, only drawing once against Australia in 1988.

Upon becoming captain, Shelford brought his teammates to Te Aute College, a Māori school, to see the students perform a traditional haka. Although the All Blacks had been performing the haka at the start of their matches since the team's inception, it was Shelford who taught them the proper way to perform the "Ka Mate" haka.

he was the captain of the New Zealand XV that played Romania in the Soviet Union and New Zealand B team that beat Australia B in 1991.

Shelford moved to England to play for Northampton, helping to revitalise a team languishing at the lower end of the first division and inspiring them to their first Pilkington Cup final. He retired from playing all rugby in 1995 after a spell at the Rugby Roma in the Italian Championship, coached for some time in Britain, including spells at Saracens and Rugby Lions. He returned to New Zealand and was the assistant coach of the North Harbour team in 1997 and coach in 1998.

In the 1991 New Year Honours, Shelford was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby.[9] In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Shelford was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to rugby and the community.

Wayne Shelford was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame ‘Te Whare Mātāpuna o Te Ao Māori’ and Inductee to the NZ Hall of Fame.

In 2022, Shelford was elected National President of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association.

Amateur –

1974–91 North Shore

1985–86 Northampton

1991–93 Rugby Roma

Provincial –

1982–85 Auckland

1985–91 North Harbour

International –

1978 NZ Colts

1982 NZ Combined Services

1982–90 Māori All Blacks

1986–90 All Blacks

Coaching –

1997–2002 North Harbour

2002–03 Saracens