Building the Man Cave and She Shed
They will be auctioned by the professionals from LJ Hooker at 1pm on the Sunday, with the proceeds
from Stephen’s going to his charity of choice – the New Zealand Movember Foundation.
Measuring 3.9m by 2.4m, Stephen had a budget of $10,000 to customise the shed.Cooke Howlison Holden selected the contestants and provided Colorados for the heavy lifting, the building materials were supplied by Placemakers Dunedin, while Otago Polytechnic has been involved in the construction.
Born in 1983, Stephen first played rugby professionally for Counties-Manakau in 2002. From 2004 he played 59 games for Waikato, and was also a core member of the Chiefs’ Super Rugby franchise from 2005-2011, and from 2015 (but we won’t hold I tagainst him!). Stephen was a member of the Chiefs side that lost the 2009 Super 14 final to the Bulls, and he missed the side’s triumphs in the competition in 2012 and 2013 as he was playing in England and Japan.
Perhaps his most memorable moment on a rugby field came in the 2011 World Cup final. Having come on for the injured Aaron Cruden, Stephen’s long range penalty in the 46th minute ultimately sealed an incredibly tense 8-7 victory for the All Blacks.
Legendarily, Stephen hadn’t been part of the initial All Black squad for the World Cup, and had been plucked from white-baiting on the Waikato River to rescue the day. This has been documented in the TV movie The Kick – and in an advert for the Holden Colorado!
Stephen brings his no-nonsense approach to the Man Cave vs She Shed Challenge, describing his personal style as “basic and blokey”. He says it would be the “backyard local” - a place to hang out with the lads.
“A man cave is a place to be with all the people you want to be with the most,” he says.
“Somewhere to hang out, relax, and spend time with mates and get away from it all.”
While he would love a little TAB set-up and an old school jukebox, Stephen’s five absolute Man Cave must-haves are:
1. A bar.
2. Beer taps.
3. Cooking area with a deep-fryer, hotplate etc.
4. Timber floors.
5. Big screen.
He is adamant he would never have a table in his Man Cave – but definitely bar leaners!
Find out more about the building process for the Man Cave vs She Shed Challenge.
