A stalwart of the Rebel Sport Super 14, Justin Collins made his first Super Rugby appearance for the Chiefs in 1998 and continued to prove himself as one of the best defensive players in the competition, and one of the most consistent.
He joined the Blues in 1999 and brought up his 100th Super Rugby game a decade later against the Stormers in Cape Town.
Collins retired from rugby at the end of 2009 after a series of concussions, but it did not stop him from making a cameo appearance for his beloved Northland in the ITM Cup in 2010.
The rugged forward was desperately unlucky never to have been an All Black. During his career he suffered heart problems and won admiration for his courage in overcoming those.