Keith Murdoch’s secret son missed chance to meet All Blacks legend after tragedy

The long-lost son of All Blacks icon Keith Murdoch never met his father after the rugby star sadly died a week before the pair were scheduled to meet.

All Blacks legend Keith Murdoch died a week before he was scheduled to meet his long-lost son. Picture: News Corp Australia

All Blacks legend Keith Murdoch had just discovered he had a secret love child but died a week before he was due to meet him, teammates have revealed.

The hardman had lived a bachelor lifestyle in his final years in Australia – where he put himself in exile after he was infamously sent home from the 1972-73 Northern Hemisphere tour after assaulting a security guard in Cardiff.

But the Herald on Sunday has discovered he had conceived a son in New Zealand, believed to have been before he left.

The pair had found each other and connected, and the son – now aged in his late 40s – had been planning to travel to Australia to meet his father, the NZ Herald reports.

But in a tragic twist, the controversial ex-sporting star died a week beforehand, in February 2018, aged 74.

“He had never seen Keith, until he went to his grave,” a former All Blacks teammate confirmed.

“He didn‘t go to the funeral – the first time he got anywhere near Keith was after he had been buried. He never met his old man. It’s all a bit sad for them.”

All Blacks Keith Murdoch during New Zealand vs Northern Transvaal tour game in South Africa in 1971. Picture: Supplied

But the man and his own son did meet some of Murdoch’s former All Blacks teammates after his father’s death to find out more about him and allay any fears he had about his past. Players included those who travelled with him on the infamous tour, including the side’s captain, Ian Kirkpatrick, and lock Andy Haden.

Former All Blacks physio Malcolm Hood also met the son.

“His son has been through a lot of trauma,” Hood told the Herald on Sunday.

“He had heard all these terrible stories about Keith and he wanted to find out about his heritage … and the more he found out about Keith the more he learned that he was a standout guy.

“The meeting took a lot of the demons out of the situation.

“Keith did do some things which did get him into trouble, but he stood up for the underdog and that is exactly what happened [that night in Cardiff].”

Hood described the son as a “very shy guy” who was also the spitting image of his dad.

“He was all set to go over to Australia and meet his dad, but he missed [the chance] by a week.

“And Keith was looking forward to his son coming over … but he didn't quite make it.”

All Blacks players Keith Murdoch and Ian Kirkpatrick during New Zealand training in early 1970s. Picture: Supplied

A former senior All Black added that those who had met Murdoch‘s son were glad to have had the chance to talk, including about his character on and off the field.

“He was quite open about letting people know he was Keith‘s son and getting over the ’Murdoch’ thing … all that bulls*** about how ’bad’ he [Keith] was.

“It is a pity that it [Murdoch‘s reputation] ever got to that.”

Two of Murdoch‘s other teammates on the 1970 tour of South Africa told the Herald on Sunday they were saddened to hear he died without meeting his own flesh and blood.

One described Murdoch as a “good, hard man”.

“He was different, but he was a good teammate and didn't deserve the reputation he received.”

Another said there was a sad irony between the two All Blacks tours the prop went on.

“He had to stay on late and alone in South Africa after needing hospital care due to his appendix,” the former player said. ”Then two years on, the poor bugger was sent home, again alone and this time mid-tour, from the UK.”

All Blacks Keith Murdoch during Wales vs New Zealand test in 1972 in Cardiff. Picture: Supplied

In just the space of 12 hours in the Welsh capital, Murdoch went from a hero to villain in the eyes of All Blacks management; first scoring a crucial try in the 19-16 win over Wales, then punching security guard Peter Grant at Cardiff‘s Angel Hotel.

The incident started in the hotel's kitchen, where Murdoch was trying to source a late-night meal.

Murdoch was sensationally kicked off the tour, becoming the first – and remaining the only – All Black to be booted from a tour for disciplinary reasons. He was sent home by team manager Ernie Todd who was struggling in the role as he battled terminal cancer.

Just as sensationally, instead of returning to New Zealand, Murdoch went across the ditch, spending the majority of his remaining 46 years in remote areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

The Herald on Sunday can also reveal Murdoch‘s son and grandson met with surviving family members of Todd’s in a bid to bring unity to the two families.

The New Zealand Rugby president at the time, Bill Osborne – himself a former All Black – was heavily involved in arranging the meeting prior to an All Blacks/Wallabies test in Auckland.

“NZ Rugby had got a bit of flak about an apology from the rugby union [to Murdoch and his family] and decided they should do something about it,” a senior former All Black said.

“They got [Murdoch‘s] son and grandson and Ernie Todd’s son and daughter … they’re in their 70s now … and they had a bit of a kōrero.

“They made it about bringing the two [families together]. Every time something came up about Keith Murdoch, it was about blaming the manager for sending him home. There was always that thing about the family fighting back about that, like, ‘It wasn’t the old man’s fault.’”

Todd’s stance has been widely criticised by members of the touring team – including Sir Bryan Williams, who wrote in his tour diary, which was featured in his 1981 autobiography, that the manager was “ignorant – no tact or discretion”. The players never knew at the time their tour leader was dying of cancer.

All Blacks player Keith Murdoch arrives at Euston Station from Birmingham on his way home to New Zealand after being sent home from tour following incident at a Cardiff hotel. Picture: Supplied

Murdoch made several brief returns to New Zealand in the decades leading up to his death.

During one, he saved the life of a 3-year-old boy who was drowning in a private swimming pool.

Murdoch popped up again in Australia‘s Northern Territory in 2001 when he was called as a witness after a man caught breaking into his home was later found dead. Murdoch was cleared of any involvement in the man’s death.

Then in 2018, the former All Black died in the Western Australian town of Carnarvon — population 4879.

A former teammate said cancer had been the cause of his death.

Wherever he travelled around Australia he kept his full background secret, muttering to one regular drinking companion that during his younger years he “played” the game.

Hood travelled to Wales with several All Blacks teams in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Each time, they had a beer at the Angel Hotel “for Keith”.

On one visit, Hood spoke to one of the security guards on duty the night of the incident who said Murdoch‘s actions were in part to support a smaller teammate who earlier had an altercation with Grant.

“The other security guard told me his colleague had it coming to him,” Hood said.

“He said it was the funniest thing … as he came running down to where the commotion was, he saw these big swinging doors open, and just like a western movie, his colleague came flying through them.

“A guy I spoke to laughed and said to his colleague, ‘You deserved that.’”

Murdoch was sent home just a day after Todd had told him his spot in the squad was safe. Picture: Supplied

"Stunned": Rugby legend's diary reveals team fury at Murdoch's exit

The shock Keith Murdoch‘s dramatic expulsion from the All Blacks had on his teammates is revealed in rugby great Sir Bryan Williams’ tour diary.

The powerful prop was sent home from the UK leg of the tour by much-maligned team manager Ernie Todd after a late-night incident which left a security guard from Cardiff‘s Angel Hotel with facial injuries.

Murdoch was sent home just a day after Todd had told him his spot in the squad was safe, with his eventual exit further souring relations between players and the team manager.

“Woke this morning and Todd got on the bus and said, ‘I’ve been up all night, it’s my decision and I’ve decided to send Keith home,’” the All Black great recorded in his tour diary, which had excerpts included in his 1981 autobiography Beegee.

“We were stunned. Todd again showed his incompetence and inconsistency. Everyone hopping mad about it today.

“It was something that could have been avoided had Todd used a bit of tact and at least could have been smoothed over and absorbed by the team. Todd lately has been got at by the press about lack of discipline, so Keefy a scapegoat.”

Murdoch had already earned the ire of Todd in London on just the second night of the team‘s stay in the UK, telling the prop that he or anyone else who misbehaved would be sent home.

“Ernie was right to stress the need for discipline within the team but rather than treating Keith and co like troublemakers and threatening to send him home, he should have appealed for their support, discussed policy matters with them, and got them right on his side,” Williams said in Beegee.

“Because of his attitude that night he totally lost their respect.”

All Blacks player Keith Murdoch died on the 27 February 2018, a week before he was scheduled to meet his son. Picture: Supplied

Williams wrote in his tour diary that he believed the Cardiff incident had happened after a “hungry” Murdoch had gone to the kitchen, but was told to leave.

Both security guards and Todd responded to the commotion.

Williams – who said in his book none of the All Blacks knew how sick their manager was as he battled cancer on tour – wrote that Todd told his front-rower to leave, something Murdoch refused to do.

“Ernie became incensed and said, ‘You’re definitely going home now,’ as he had said right from the outset in London. Keith then said, ’Well if that’s the case, Todd, I might as well make a job of it.’”

Williams said “Welshmen” had been ”niggling him [Murdoch] all night.” When Grant ”deliberately bumped into him and said, ‘So you’re the one who thinks he’s so bloody tough,” Murdoch reacted.

“Keith like a mad bull but obviously needled into it. Ignorant Todd – no tact or discretion”.

This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and was reproduced with permission