A free-spirited man who surfed his own waves and was widely beloved by the southern rugby community was right near the top of that list.
New Zealand rugby fans love a good No 7, and the Highlanders had one of the best when ‘‘Crusher’’ Kronfeld was tearing around the place in the early years of Super Rugby.
He had the perfect build and approach for an openside flanker.
Kronfeld’s speed, immense workrate and efficiency at the breakdown were crucial elements of how the Highlanders liked to play in that era.
He also had that special knack, possessed by all the great opensides, of knowing just when and how to arrive at the breakdown to cause maximum nuisance.
But Kronfeld’s presence at the Highlanders was about more than what happened on the field.
It is possible neither the Highlanders nor Super Rugby would even have existed had he and a team-mate not made one of the boldest moves in New Zealand rugby history.
Rugby was turning professional in 1995 and the All Blacks players were all set to join the breakaway World Rugby Corporation when Kronfeld and Jeff Wilson broke ranks to stay with the New Zealand Union.
In his book, On The Loose, written with Brian Turner, Kronfeld reflected on the crisis and his and Wilson’s decision to
stay loyal.
Kronfeld was a student — he studied physical education at Otago in the early 1990s and returned in 2005-08 to study physiotherapy — and a philosopher and a musician and an activist who famously had a ‘‘no nukes’’ message on his headgear.
He hailed from the Hawke’s Bay, a fertile nursery for the Highlanders and Otago in the 1990s, where he had an intriguing Samoan-German background.
Kronfeld initially joined the University club then played for Alhambra-Union.
He made his All Blacks debut in a World Cup year, 1995, scored a cracking try in the memorable semifinal win over England, and finished with 14 tries in 54 tests.
Kronfeld played a couple of seasons for English club Leicester before retiring.
‘‘I’ve been lucky. It’s been a wonderful career.’’
Kronfeld, a father of two sons, has not been far from the spotlight since the end of his playing days.
He was in Dancing With The Stars, won Celebrity Treasure Island twice, has been a regular on The Crowd Goes Wild, and has been an advocate for various men’s health issues.
