Youth
Mehrtens' parents lived in South Africa for four years from 1970 and returned to New Zealand when he was still a young child. Mehrtens grew up in Christchurch, attended Christchurch Boys' High School, and played Junior Grade Rugby for Kaiapoi. He also represented New Zealand at under-19 and under-21 levels.
Like many players in New Zealand, Mehrtens comes from a family with a long involvement in rugby. His grandfather, George, played for Canterbury in the 1920s as a fullback and was an All Black in unofficial internationals against New South Wales in 1928. His father, Terry, also a first five, represented Canterbury between 1964 and 1976. He was a New Zealand under-23 player in 1965 against the Springboks and again in 1967, and while in South Africa played as a fullback for Natal against the 1970 All Blacks.
Read more about this topic: Andrew Mehrtens
Famous quotes containing the word youth:
“I’ve never understood why people consider youth a time of freedom and joy. It’s probably because they have forgotten their own.”
—Margaret Atwood (b. 1939)
“The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, or, perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, and, at length, the middle-aged man concludes to build a woodshed with them.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“If youth but knew; if age but could.
Wives in their husbands’ absences grow subtler,
And daughters sometimes run off with the butler.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)