Leaving his native New Zealand in 1988 to try his luck in Australia could not have worked out any better for former Kiwi international Sam Stewart.
THE 16-test veteran and former police officer Sam Stewart became etched in rugby league folklore by becoming the Newcastle Knights inaugural captain when he signed a three-year deal with the Hunter club.
Whilst he may have hung up his boots for good, the former London Broncos and Hull KR star is still fondly remembered by fans on opposite sides of the globe given his superhuman performances on the field.
If it wasn’t for the New Zealand police force approving an extended leave of absence to allow Stewart to follow his dreams, things may have worked out a little different for the Kiwi legend.
“I grew up in Wellington in New Zealand and I am one of six children in a humble Christian family.
“You could say that I had a normal upbringing growing up in a working-class environment.
“Dad was a builder by trade and he was the bread winner who always put food on the table.
“Sport was always at the forefront of my mind as a kid and I would play anything just to keep fit and active.
“But like most New Zealand kids, you were always destined to play rugby union and hopefully one day play for the All Blacks.
“However, my heart just was not in the 15-man code as it didn’t excite me. But when I started playing rugby league as an 11-year-old, I knew that this was the game for me.”
Curiously, back in 1970s New Zealand, playing rugby league was forbidden if you were playing union at school, but the quick-thinking Stewart had a grand plan to get around that problem.
“There was a rule that if you were playing union at school, then you were unable to play league. So, I got around that by playing union on Saturdays, then played league on a Sunday under a pseudonym.
“Nobody ever challenged me about it, so I continued to roll with it and it all seemed to work.
“When I made my A Grade debut for Wellington and gained my first ever Junior Kiwi jersey, I knew that I had chosen the right sport to play.
“Playing rugby league opened many doors for me which saw me go onto represent my country 16 times and I became the Newcastle Knights inaugural captain.”
Although the Knights did not set the world on fire in their first season, Stewart was a leader amongst men who won the respect of his new teammates.
“Initially it was a big decision to move from New Zealand to Newcastle with my wife and young family.
“I still remember our first game at Marathon Stadium in front of 30,000 screaming fans.
“I was only used to playing in front of about 300 fans back home, so this was like nothing I had ever experienced.
“Being a one town, one team club, it was incredible with just how much the Novacastrians loved their footy.
“I loved Newcastle and it will always have a special place in my heart, especially living there when the devastating earthquakes hit in 1989.
“That brought the city even closer together as we tried to rebuild what had been demolished, everybody banded together as one.”
After a few shaky seasons with the Knights, the Kiwi veteran relinquished the captaincy to Michael Hagan, with Stewart leaving the club at the end of the 1992 season.
This then opened the door for the former police triathlete to pack his bags for England.
“I always wanted to play in England because I liked the way the British play the game.
“When my contract at the Knights finished, former Kiwi coach Tony Gordon called me about a move to London as he had just been handed the reins as their head coach.
“His exact words were, ‘I need you over here ASAP and I am making you captain, how quick can you get here?’
“The next thing you know, I was boarding a plane bound for Manchester and spent three great seasons at the Broncos.
“Although London was not in the rugby league heartlands, we gave it a good crack and made the Divisional final at Old Trafford which goes to show that we were not there just for a holiday.”
After guiding his London Broncos side around, Stewart was ready for a fresh start at the end of the 1995 season and wanted to move North.
Enter Hull Kingston Rovers.
“I had the opportunity to sign with Hull KR as I wanted to be living in a rugby league city.
“I knew how fanatical the supporters were in East Yorkshire, so I jumped at the chance to sign with the Robins.
“It was a great decision because I fit right into the club’s culture and the supporters were some of the most passionate people you could ever meet.
“Apart from my playing days in the Winfield Cup and in England, I also represented the Kiwis and was blessed to play alongside players such as Mark Graham and Hugh McGahan.
“Wearing that Kiwi jersey made you feel 10 feet tall and bulletproof, and when you get to perform the Haka in the black and white jersey, well that just gives you goosebumps.
“Looking back on my career, I played with and against some extraordinary players, especially Ellery Hanley, who in my view, was the perfect footballer.”
With the fitness fanatic now happily living on the Gold Coast, Sam Stewart summed up his approach to the game.
“Be the player that everybody wants to play alongside.
“That is how I played my game, leading by example.
“Who knows what cards I might have been dealt if I had not crossed the ditch Down Under?
“But I know now that it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 506 (March 2025)
