Ben Couch

Manuera Benjamin Riwai "Ben" Couch QSO JP (27 June 1925 – 3 June 1996) was a New Zealand politician and rugby union player and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a member of the All Blacks and the New Zealand Māori rugby union team in the 1940s.

Early life

Couch was born in 1925 in Christchurch and he grew up on Banks Peninsula. Couch's parents were Methodists and he was largely raised by his grandmother who belonged to the Salvation Army. He attended Christchurch Technical School. He married Bessie Carter, his childhood sweetheart who was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Couch was in the Royal New Zealand Air Force at the end of World War II but was never sent into battle. At the age of 24 Couch joined the LDS Church. He moved to the Wairarapa in the mid-1940s.^[1]

Rugby union

Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	81 kg (179 lb)
School	Christchurch Technical School
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	First five-eighth
New Zealand No.	469
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1945–54	Wairarapa	55
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1947–49 1948–50	New Zealand New Zealand Māori	3 20	(0)

A first five-eighth, Couch represented Wairarapa at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1947 to 1949. He played seven matches for the All Blacks including three internationals.^[1] Of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Mutunga descent,^[2] he also played 20 matches for New Zealand Māori between 1948 and 1950.^[1]

Political career

In the 1975 general election, he was elected to Parliament as the National Party MP for the Wairarapa electorate,^[3] thus becoming (with Rex Austin) only the second and third Māori (after Sir James Carroll) to win a general electorate (as opposed to a Māori electorate).^[4]

He served as Minister of Māori Affairs and Minister of Police in the third National Government, but lost his seat in 1984 to Labour's Reg Boorman.^[3] While Minister of Police, he called for the birch to be introduced for violent offenders and allowed the police to use longer batons. He created some controversy by wearing a Springbok rugby team blazer at the time of their 1981 tour of New Zealand as well as attending a public meeting organised by the League of Rights. This was despite his having been denied entry to South Africa as part of the All Blacks rugby team in the 1940s because of his race.

In the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours Couch was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.^[5]

In the 1990s he was involved in various Māori organisations.

Death

He died in 1996 in Masterton.^[1]

References