The first All Blacks Test team captain playing in New Zealand against the touring British team of 1904, Billy Stead was vice-captain to Dave Gallaher of the 1905-06 Originals and a leading figure in that side's success.
He never played in a losing All Blacks team in a career from 1903-08.
Stead, a cobbler from Invercargill, was also vice-captain, by choice, of the first official Māori All Blacks team that toured Australia in 1910. Urged to come out of retirement, he was offered the captaincy but declined, feeling it should be offered to a player who would be more involved in the future.
Stead was co-coach of the All Blacks for the first two Tests of the 1921 Springbok series in New Zealand, and a long-standing coach and selector of Southland teams, including the first South Island side to win the Ranfurly Shield when beating Wellington in Invercargill in 1920.
However, his most significant long-term contribution to rugby was his writing about the game.
He first demonstrated his writing ability in the weekly columns he wrote for The Southland Times during the 1905-06 tour but then emphasised during his writing of one of the great rugby books, The Complete Rugby Footballer on the New Zealand System. He and Gallaher shared the authorship, although it has been confirmed that Stead did all the writing.
In later years, Stead contributed regular articles to his home town newspapers, the Southland Times and its evening counterpart, the Southland Daily News.
Stead was commissioned by NZ Truth to cover the tour of the 1930 British side, now known as the British & Irish Lions, providing some outstanding coverage of personalities and aspects of both the All Blacks and Lions teams and games.
He also wrote for Dunedin's Evening Star, Star Sports Special, which was published on Saturdays. In 1937, his reminiscences appeared in the Star Sports Special ahead of the Springboks' tour of New Zealand.
Writer Lynn McConnell, who first came across Stead's columns when researching his centennial history of Southland rugby, Something to Crow About, has aspired to complete a full-scale biography of his career and writings.
"There is naturally a lot of emotion around Dave Gallaher's leadership of the 1905-06 tour because of his subsequent death on active service in the First World War. Gallaher reduced his age to meet the criteria for volunteering. He had already served in the African Wars of 1899-1902. Stead's contribution to the tour has always been in the shadow of Gallaher's sacrifice.
"It was significant that in the last moments of the bitter Scotland Test, the first Test of the tour, when defeat looked likely, Gallaher turned to Stead to produce something to ensure a win.
"Stead did that, setting flying wing George Smith off from a planned move to score the match-winning try, something Smith confirmed during the subsequent tour by the Invincibles.
"One of the delights of researching the book was unearthing some long-forgotten written contributions of other team members that have lain untouched for more than 100 years. Those comments supplement Stead's work and have opened up a revised perspective of the achievements of Gallaher, Stead and their men on a revolutionary tour to the game's home.
"New Zealand's continuing tactical acumen and ability to push the boundaries of the game had its origins on the international stage on this tour, and Stead was at the forefront with his contribution.
"Bringing the 1905-06 tour alive will hopefully ensure that their deeds are not forgotten while also ensuring Stead's place at the forefront of those whose writings have captured the game's history through its first 50 years in New Zealand."
Purchase Billy Stead's Rugby World HERE.