Peter Bush/Stuff
In Peter Bush’s own words, this was the “saddest picture I have taken in over 50 years of photographing rugby”, All Black prop Keith Murdoch at Euston Station London, after being expelled from the NZ team in November 1972.
Jim Tucker is a journalist and writer based in New Plymouth.
OPINION: The online burial service of an old friend and colleague occupied a couple of hours recently. It was riveting.
I thought I knew a lot about media photographer Peter Bush, but I hold a meague collection of memories similarly retained by that vast group he addressed as “Champ”.
His favourite greeting was a reminder he’d adopted an admirable way to say “gidday” to someone whose name he couldn’t recall right then.
Bush knew that his images told a story at a time when photos still reigned supreme.
Everyone knew Peter (a Commander of the NZ Order of Merit) because he was everywhere with a good camera in his hand, and he recorded not only the great moments of sport like rugby – especially when the media still spelled it with a capital letter – but many of the wonderful looks of our country and Kiwis.
Former TV commentator Keith Quinn talked in detail at the funeral about Bushy’s earlier life after he moved away from his near-native West Coast and did extraordinary jobs in ships and ashore in Britain, France and other offshore parts.
His growing-up background reminded me of the great 1980s Auckland Star business reporter, Warren Berryman, who did similar tough stuff before he settled into an investigative journalism career in NZ that truly frightened the dodgiest money handlers.
Peter Bush/Supplied
Pretty much everyone wanted to be Bush’s mate, or better, have their picture taken by his uncanny lens. Pictured here are Alan Sutherland, Tane Norton and Alex Wylie in Wales on the 1972 All Blacks tour of the UK, France and the United States.
Bushy, who died earlier this month aged 93, was admired by most, apart from one incident when someone got nasty with him on an ABs tour.
Pretty much everyone wanted to be his mate, or better, have their picture taken by his uncanny lens. His photos will be preserved at Manawatu Museum, thanks to daughter Rachel.
Quinny – who once voiced that famously nearly-hysterical TV account of rugby hero Jonah Lomah running over Englishmen – was a close friend of Bush’s, having toured with him.
He has preserved often-funny backroom accounts that will enlighten rugby history.
Peter Bush/NZPA
Doug Rollerson (10) shapes up during a test on the controversial 1981 tour to South Africa while Andy Haden challenges a Springbok rival.
A couple of days later, I read something in the Sunday Star-Times that reminds me why such stories don’t circulate widely, and even less so today: rugby seems to dislike the news media even more than most of us revile politics.
The principle is simple: when something is significant to our every-day lives, those responsible for it become absurdly wary it will put them in a bad light.
Human enough, but it gives birth to great expense and corresponding desire for information control.
If we knew the full extent of the last government’s spending on departmental public relations we would be taking even more intense interest in moves by Nats et al to save money.
Kent Belchynden/Stuff
Brothers in arms, former All Blacks star Waka Nathan with Bush.
Rugby journalist Marc Hinton (reporting since rugby went professional in 1996) writes of his concern about how the PR clamp has gradually tightened since the days of ABs coach John Hart at the start of pro footy.
Nowadays, he says, it’s virtually impossible to talk at depth with any current AB, and certainly not without PR minders or someone like CEO Mark Robinson present. He wonders how new coach Razor Robertson will go.
Robertson gave an impression of openness while coaching Canterbury so successfully, but I fear that will change. The best to expect is that, if permitted, he will grow tentative relationships with a few reporters he feels he can trust.
Does that mean manipulation and compromise? Possibly. There are some rugby leaders you can never please. Let’s watch to see what happens. Its full nature will be misty until memoirs and funeral time.
Peter Bush/Stuff
Mist shrouds All Blacks halfback Sid Going during a game on the 1972 All Blacks tour.
During a reign as Taranaki rugby coach in the early 1970s, JJ Stewart once addressed me in his gruff manner: “You don’t do a bad job, Tucker – considering your unfortunate background.” I’d played hockey at New Plymouth Boys High School.
When I was editor of the Auckland Star, Auckland coach Hart stormed into our office with his captain to tell us off for publishing a straight-forward court story about one of his players on a drink charge. He was politely told to go away.
When Sir Terry McLean offended Auckland rugby boss Ron Don for something TP wrote, both the Star and the NZ Herald went on rugby coverage strike. It lasted a single day.
My recollection of rugby is that no top coach, manager or player will ever trust you completely. But maybe that’s how it should be. Being able to write something important but at worst inconvenient for a sport might be the best we and they can hope for.
There’s no doubt rugby has loved Bushy’s pictures, though. Each worth a thousand words … actually, make that two.
