He was a larger than life force on the rugby field, and now Papamoa-based All Black great Sir Colin Meads will have a permanent, larger than life presence in his hometown of Te Kuiti.

A group of volunteers are currently working on a 2.9 metre bronze statue depicting ‘Pinetree' at the pinnacle of his All Black career which will stand in Te Kuiti's main street from next year.

Renowned for his humble, ‘no fuss, no bother' attitude, Sir Colin is reported to have asked why people would want to see it when first told of the statue.

But New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey says the NZRU's view is quite the opposite.

'This project is a fantastic idea and a great way for Te Kuiti to celebrate one of their own. It goes without saying that Sir Colin is one of New Zealand's special treasures – both as an All Black, but also as a great example of what it means to be a New Zealander.

'What we love about Sir Colin is that despite the international recognition and praise heaped on him, he just considers himself to be a guy from Te Kuiti.”

The statue, which will weigh close to a tonne, will be sculpted by Auckland artist Natalie Stamilla who also created the bronze statue of fellow All Black great Michael Jones which was erected at Eden Park back in 2011.

Waitomo District mayor Brian Hanna is thrilled the man known the world over as ‘Pinetree' will soon be immortalised and believes a statue of Sir Colin in Te Kuiti 'is well overdue”.

'This will be a fantastic tribute to our most famous legend. It is great New Zealand Rugby is right behind this opportunity to pay homage to Sir Colin, in the rightful place – his hometown.”

The project is being led by the town's development committee Legendary Te Kuiti whose which is now seeking additional funding for the statue.

LTK project manager Yvette Ronaldson say the statue is costing a significant amount and they are appealing to the New Zealand public to help them fund it.

'It's the Kiwi way for communities to get behind these types of projects and this is certainly one of the special ones, significant for many New Zealanders.

'Not only is Sir Colin iconic in terms of rugby, he has given so much to the Te Kuiti community and the country for many years. His support of a huge variety of charities alone is immeasurable.

'We believe it is now time for us as a town and a country, to pay homage to him, to thank him.”

The plan is to unveil the statue to coincide with the British and Irish Lions tour in June, and an exhibition of memorabilia from the Meads brothers – Sir Colin and Stan – will also be opened to the public at the same time.

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Sir Colin Meads, photographed in 1956. Photo: Wikipedia