"Kia Kaha.”  Wayne 'Buck' Shelford put it all out there with those two words, “Stand strong.” It's just minutes before the 1987 Rugby World Cup final and All Blacks captain David Kirk has turned to Buck  - his experienced No.8 - for words of encouragement from someone even leaders respect. There is no American Football-style sermon, no revving of players egos, just those two little words.

It’s hard to express the level of feeling people have for Buck in New Zealand; take a look at Test match coverage over the last 15 years and you might see a cardboard sign in the stands. In Christchurch, Pretoria, London or any number of places - the sign screams “Bring Back Buck”. His dropping as New Zealand captain was a shock that reverberated round the rugby world - one still discussed today.

And now for another shock. Buck has been diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. This is the man who, after having his scrotum torn open in one of the most brutal games ever witnessed, (dubbed ‘the battle of Nantes’ by the media) went to the sideline for the necessary stitches and returned, unflinching, to the fray. He set a standard which laughs in the face of today’s resting players' policy. After a career marked by so many battles, so many challenges, the greatest one is now in front of him.

'Buck brought the prestige back into the Haka, taking it from a mere flailing of limbs to a challenge that brought emotion from opponents and opposing fans around the world'

He was only defeated once on the international field - that day at Nantes. He captained the All Blacks 14 times for 14 victories. Buck brought the prestige back into the Haka, taking it from a mere flailing of limbs to a challenge that brought emotion from opponents and opposing fans around the world. He set the scene for that day in 1987, and helped win the title that has become the most coveted in world rugby.

All this is only a piece of the picture. Shelford has a wife and three children, one being his adopted godson. He wears his Maori ancestry like a badge of pride, putting that aforementioned passion back into the Haka was just one sign of it. Buck has also led many tour groups following the All Blacks, often pulling out the guitar during long bus journeys. He now owns a bar in Auckland, just rewards for a life in the public eye, a life as both sporting hero and martyr.

Lymphoma is a treatable form of cancer, one reasonably common in New Zealand. Nonetheless, the threat is very real and one approached with a typical no- fuss attitude by the big man. In a brief statement, Buck informed the media of his situation and urged them to respect him and his family’s privacy. It says a lot for the esteem this man is held in that those wishes will be granted without question.