Rugby star's reinvention 'I'M PROUD AS PUNCH OF KEV!’

The All Black legend's wife Tai reveals they'll both have butterflie

- Donna Fleming

In the 13 years that her husband Keven played for the All Blacks, Tai Mealamu watched him in action from the sidelines or on TV with her heart in her mouth.

She was excited that the powerful hooker was getting to play the game he loved at top level, but always nervous that he'd get injured if a scrum went down.

Now, seven years after Keven hung up his number two jersey, Tai is going to be experiencing those nerves again, but this time she'll be watching her husband not on the rugby field, but in the boxing ring.

Keven, 43, is pulling on gloves to take part in a Fight For Life charity boxing match on July 21, facing up against former rugby league player turned TV presenter Wairangi Koopu. And if that goes well, he'll be eyeing up a possible career as a professional boxer.

While Tai, 42, wouldn't dream of being anywhere else but ringside as Keven takes on this new challenge, she's expecting it to be a nail-biting experience.

"I always used to get really nervous when Kev played rugby, especially being in the front row of the scrums.

That feeling will come back when he gets in the ring, but I know how important it is to him to do this. It will be exciting though." Keven admits that he too has butterflies at the thought of taking part in a boxing match, but his are more about the excitement of physical competition than nerves.

"It will be my first time and it is something I have always wanted to do. When I first got the call from Monty [Betham, former rugby league player turned professional boxer] about the possibility of stepping in the ring, I started feeling those competitive butterflies that I used to get with rugby. It's a long time since I'd had those and it was great to feel them again. They're a great reminder of what it is like to play sport.