Most people will recognise former All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu for his sporting success, but a decade after retiring, he’s now dabbling in the world of art as a board member of Crown entity Creative New Zealand.
Born and raised in Tokoroa before moving to Auckland for high school, the Samoan rugby player says art has always been a part of his life, growing up with an artist mother and uncles, helping out at school plays and picking art as one of his favourite subjects.
But he never imagined this field would be part of his future.
“I always thought I’d be illustrating a few more children’s books, which I’ve been lucky enough to do. I think even governance, I don’t think it’s something that many people think about doing. I think I feel really very honoured and blessed and privileged to be able to do it.”
While navigating the complex ecosystems of governance, having also joined the board of New Zealand Rugby, Mealamu has been on the mend after finding out he has a heart condition known as atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular heartbeat.
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Last year Melamu shared footage on social media showing him collapsing at a gym. He found out he had the condition after two heavy training bouts in preparation for a charity boxing event in 2022.
“Sometimes when I look back, I think to myself, ‘what was I thinking?’ But it’s probably that mentality of coming out of professional sports, just loving the opportunity to challenge yourself,” Mealamu tells RNZ’S Culture 101.
Since then, he’s undergone medical procedures and been in and out of hospital.
“I had one done before Christmas and it had been in rhythm. But I found out a couple of weeks ago it’s gone back into AFib again.
“I don’t have the symptoms where some people find it really hard to walk or just comes on really spontaneously. But I’m able to control mine.”
Bringing a lens that connects people
Mealamu’s ultimate dream to be an All Black was always a clear vision in his head. But he knew he couldn’t just sit and wait around – someone had to pay the bills, he says.
So while chasing a professional rugby career, he took on an apprenticeship opportunity that came via his school coach for sign writing.
To get to his workplace, he remembers he would bike from Māngere to Ōtara, which he considered part of his training as well.
“I can’t remember how many times I’d get a flatty and have to be shamefully walking my bike all the way home. So when I had the opportunity to go into rugby, it was probably one of the cool things. I was like, ‘yes, I don’t have to bike to work anymore’.”
Now he sees how the two fields – art and sport – align in that they can both have an impact on the community.
“You can feel the passion in what both art and sport do. You can feel the passion in who’s presenting it,” Mealamu says.
“You look at one of the most influential rugby players around in the world at the moment, Ardie Savea, and just the way he expresses himself and the way he carries himself, there’s a strong cultural bit to him as well.”
Being at helm is a big part of who he is, he says, having captained the All Blacks three times and remaining a key part of the leadership group for more than a decade.
“I think what I do bring to the [Creative New Zealand] board is an authentic Pacific Island New Zealander leader. So that lens, I think, is really important. A lens that has been through community all the way to the very top of my sport but also work well with other leaders and community.”
But if there’s something he’s wistful about, it’s the fact he didn’t join earlier.
“I just wish I was on earlier to be able to share that moment with my mum, because as proud as I am being able to have both my parents around as I became an All Black, this one also would have been something that she would have been really proud of as well.”
rnz.co.nz