The King Country team won this match against Wanganui 11 to 3. All Black great Colin Meads first played for King Country in 1955 at the age of 19, but we are not certain if he played in this game. Meads ended up playing 125 matches for King Country (as well as 132 matches for New Zealand!)

King Country Rugby Union (Inc) :Representative football, Taumarunui Domain, Saturday 3rd September 1955. King Country v Wanganui, at 2.30 pm. Curtain raiser third grade representatives at 1 pm - Maniapoto v Taumarunui. [Printed by] F Darvill Ltd [1955]

A small town a long way from the major centres, Taumarunui was a pleasant place to rest up before tackling the Timber Trail. That and Taumarunui being at the start of both the Forgotten Highway and Whanganui Journey has resulted in a relative tourist boom. The town of nearly 5,000 people grew off the back of transport on the river, then the railways, and more recently forestry and farming. The…