#60 Frank Bunce: The Untold Stories Behind Rugby's Greatest Era
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
My new favorite episode just sat down with Frank Bunce, the amazing Frank Bunce, the legend. You have never seen or heard from him like this before. He rings me up and he goes, bro, you've got to face the facts. I said, what's that? And he goes, you're never going to be a fucking Orble. Growing up in Mangere, going to school, Mangere College, and just going through life, not really having any goals or aspirations.
How did Frank Bunce's childhood in Māngere shape his early life and values?
I never really had a goal.
Really?
You know, when you're back there, you're just trying to live your life. You're just trying to get through life. today and tomorrow and next week and, you know, whatever happens is going to happen.
Making Manu Samoa rugby team playing in the World Cup 1991 and doing really well, making the semifinals in their first ever World Cup. You're in the bar with the coach and he's like, hey, we're training at 10, you know, and it's already four. And being called Frank Once by the great Peter Fats.
Only played rugby for us once.
From there on, for years later, oh, Frank Once. Going to the 95 World Cup, what that was like meeting Nelson Mandela, playing against South Africa in that World Cup. Did they get food poisoning? I asked the hard questions. Did they get food poisoning? And was it on purpose? Really, we're in probably no state to go out and play. There was just so much at stake. Playing with the great Jonah Lomu, what that was like witnessing someone so special on the rugby field, who he thinks is the best ever rugby player in his opinion. Oh, man. and all of the stories in between. I think some of them we can play, some of them we can't, but they were all amazing, very funny. This episode is amazing, my new favorite one.
Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. Frank Bunce, enjoy. This podcast is made by the amazing team at Fanaticals. They put up with me, so they're pretty epic. Frank Bunce, thanks so much for joining me, bro. Pleasure, bro. Pleasure. We're having a good conversation off air. And I didn't want to name drop, but you went to Mangere College, the same college my dad went to. I'm not sure how long, but you remember the old man.
Yeah, I do. I do, actually. I don't know whether I remember him specifically from school, but definitely around the area, you know, it was just, you know, the family. It was friends and family, you know, everyone sort of knew everyone back in those days and we all sort of hung out together and I didn't even know, to be honest, but I definitely remember him.
What did you remember about him? I don't often hear many stories about my dad as a youngster and I'm always interested.
He was good, you know, he was, because there was groups like, you remember Sofeli family? Yes, yes. So, you know. I should have thought about this before because I can see faces and remember things. But, you know, the Kyrie family.
Yes, Johnny Kyrie.
Yep. All, you know, heaps of guys. But I remember your father just being around in, you know, in groups of people that were around at the time. You know, did he ever play rugby at all?
Later on, he was more rugby league.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But see, back in those days as well, we all used to hang out together and the guys from Manukau League used to come up to our club and have a few beers with us and we'd be down there and we'd support each other and all that. So we were kind of all in the same groups and stuff like that for years and years too.
That's when he was running around. At first, it was called the Mangere Dogs.
Yeah, yeah.
But, yeah, and, you know, we had, you know, we had families where they were, in terms of gang, you know, they were split down the middle, you know. Yeah. One person in Black Power, one person in, you know, Brothers. Yeah. You know, and then that was – It was a pretty tough area to grow up in.
What was it like growing up back then, bro?
It was awesome, actually. You were free. No one had any money, but you didn't really need a lot of money back in those days. There wasn't a lot to spend it on, obviously. There wasn't a lot to really take your focus away from just living life.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:26
2
How did Frank Bunce's childhood in Māngere shape his early life and values?
0:26–21:47
3
What kept Frank on the right path when friends drifted into trouble?
21:47–41:24
4
When did Frank realise rugby could become more than a hobby?
41:24–1:09:09
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Unfiltered with Dave Letele
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