Waka Nathan

Early life Nathan was born in Auckland on 8 July 1940. He was one of nine children of Samuel Taia Nathan and Irene Huakore (née Randall). He attended Mangere Central Primary School and Otahuhu College. Nathan's whakapapa included Ngāpuhi, Te Roroa and Waikato Tainui.

Nathan first played rugby as a child for his primary school and secondary school. He played a notable match against Seddon Memorial Technical College during a curtain raiser to the 1956 Test match between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park, together with his friend Mack Herewini. He ultimately made 88 appearances and scored 51 points. He notably scored a last-minute try against Canterbury, enabling his teammate Mike Cormack to score the conversion and seal a 19–18 victory that saw Auckland successfully defending the Ranfurly Shield in 1960.

Nathan debuted for the New Zealand Māori in 1960 and played six years with the team. He also played for the All Blacks from 1962 to 1967 as a breakaway. During his All Blacks career, he was on tour to Australia, the British Isles and France. Nathan had several strong performances at the start of the 1963–64 tour, before missing six games with a broken finger. He then sustained a broken jaw against Llanelli and was informed that the injury would keep him sidelined for six months. He was described by Colin Meads as "the most virile runner with the ball in hand".

Nathan was a life member of Auckland Rugby and the Otahuhu Rugby Club. The competition is played between local premier club rugby teams.

Personal life Nathan was married to Janis for 56 years until his death. Together, they had three children: Alana, Claudine, and Janine.

Nathan died on 24 September 2021 in Auckland. He was 81, and suffered from dementia in the years leading up to his death. He first exhibited symptoms of the disease after the 2011 Rugby World Cup and underwent surgery to correct displaced vertebrae in order to reduce pressure to the lower part of his head.