George Jahnke is in his happy place setting up the match-winning try or running a touch clinic with hundreds of kids, but ask him to talk about himself and his achievements and he is out of his comfort zone.

The 50-year-old from Grenada Village in Wellington is the ultimate team man and individual accolades don’t sit easy with him.

Jahnke (Ngati Tūwharetoa, Ngati Porou) has had to get used to talking about himself lately. He was inducted into the Federation of International Touch Hall of Fame at the Touch World Cup in Nottingham last month.

He was attending his eighth World Cup since making his debut for New Zealand more than 30 years ago when he was surprised by the honour at the opening ceremony alongside Peter Walters (Auckland).

“I had no idea it was coming,” he says. “So, to share that with all my New Zealand teammates who were crowding around and jumping on top of me was a special moment.

“To be recognised alongside Pete – who we call Mr Touch and is a legend of our game – was a huge honour.”

There are four New Zealanders in the Federation of International Touch Hall of Fame – Jahnke, Walters, Sharlene Bannister-Plumridge and Kopae Irihei.

Jahnke received the award at the opening ceremony and was later honoured by his team, who performed a haka for him back at their accommodation.

“I tend to shy away from moments like this in the spotlight. But as we get older, we get less of these opportunities.

“Someone told me to value these moments and not to think about it as you, but more about the people who have helped you get there and invested in you – your family and coaches and people I have played with.

“So, in that mindset, it was a huge moment for me. It was quite emotional to reflect on all the people who have helped me.”

Jahnke has a remarkable career to reflect on. He is the most successful Touch World Cup campaigner in New Zealand history.

He has played in eight World Cups between 1995 and 2024 and won four gold medals and four silver medals.

He was a member of the New Zealand open team who made history in 1999, the first team from this country to win a World Cup title, which remains a career highlight. His touch career had humble beginnings.

His whānau were living in Turangi and they didn’t have a car so the coaches picked Jahnke up for trainings and games around the Bay of Plenty.

“I will never forget what those coaches did for me. They believed in me, and they got me playing touch when I could have been out getting into trouble. That fostered a lifelong love for touch.” The best thing about the sport of touch for Jahnke has always been the people.

“I was fortunate to play a lot of sports growing up – basketball, football, rugby, but I never experienced anything like the feeling of touch. You can be competitive or social. But the key is that the whānau and the team environment is different to every other sport.”

For Jahnke, who works for Touch New Zealand as their community coaching manager, the sport has been his life. He sees his role as going full circle to pay back after all the people who supported him as a young man.

Jahnke says the support of ACC has helped keep him on the field with a host of injuries throughout his career. ACC also funds the TouchFit 360 injury prevention programme, which provides guidance on how to improve performance by minimising the risk of injury.

In 2023 ACC accepted 9000 touch-related injury claims at a cost of $18 million. “It has been great to see TouchFit grow around Aotearoa and it’s an important part of our game.”

Jahnke is not ready to hang up the boots just yet.

He has played 96 games for New Zealand and is still smarting from their 13-7 World Cup Final loss to Australia in Nottingham a few weeks ago.

“I have held the goal of earning 100 caps for a while now so that is the next thing I want to achieve, and I would love to win one more World Cup for New Zealand.”

Jahnke hopes to get that opportunity when New Zealand hosts the next Touch World Cup in 2028. He offered this advice to any up-and-comers in touch around Aotearoa.

“You can never replace that feeling of representing your country – so if you get that chance, grab it with both hands,” he says.

“I didn’t come from the most affluent background but where there is a will there is a way. Make sure you give it your all – I have been fortunate to travel the world and make some amazing friends in this game that I love.”

- SunLive