“I have never been part of any team that didn’t want to win and personally I have always wanted to be the best at whatever I do. There may have been occasions where this has been seen as arrogance, but in my opinion to do something without striving to be the best seems a little pointless.

That is why our vision at Number 8 is to provide our clients with the best service available in the market place. We will always look to challenge ourselves to improve and consistently be at the top of our game.

I have had the privilege of being part of some incredible teams throughout my career. I know first  hand what it takes to stay at the top. I also know how important each member of those teams was to achieve the success we always wanted.

I hope you decide to be part of our team here at Number 8 and I look forward to being involved in your future success”

At 15 years old, Zinzan had no idea that sport was going to take his life along the path that was destined for him. Although his home was a dairy farm north of Auckland, NZ, his family had some involvement in construction. He decided, like many young school leavers, that he should learn a trade and decided plumbing was his calling. It was after completing his apprenticeship that the rugby took over. After juggling the two for a couple of years and with the advent of professionalism, his full time rugby career began.

It wasn’t until 2002, after finishing up with Harlequins, that Zinzan decided to rekindle his interest in the construction industry. With a small crew around him, he set about establishing himself with a number of refurbs and new builds around his adopted home town of Windsor. From the beginning the emphasis was always on quality and a desire to be the best. For those that know Zinzan, this character trait is a common theme running through almost every aspect of his life.

After establishing himself in the local residential scene an opportunity came up to expand into the rapidly growing apartment market. From here his company, Valentines Homes grew and developed some premium sites around London. From its humble beginnings the crew grew into a sizable enterprise, providing valuable insight and experience into the complex demands of running a labour force, as well as the construction business.

The company continues today to produce consistently high quality developments, always looking for ways to grow and change with the demands of the market.

If there is one thing that defines Zinzan’s sporting career, whether on the rugby field, the golf course or even the back yard, it would be his extreme competitive nature and a desire to win that verges on obsession. Touted by many rugby scholars as the greatest Number 8 to ever play the game, his introduction to the ranks was far from illustrious. The Brooke family farm was located in a remote area north of Auckland (NZ). It was there competing against 4 brothers and 1 sister that the early signs of talent were exposed. Achieving age group status both locally and nationally, he progressed quickly onto the Auckland club and ultimately, provincial scenes, gaining his first cap for Auckland at the age of 21 in 1986. It is probably no coincidence that the following 11 years were also Auckland’s most successful and included some of the great names in NZ rugby. John Kirwan, Michael Jones and Sean Fitzpatrick were there with Zinzan when the game turned professional in 1995 and the Super 12 competition was formed, establishing the Auckland Blues. Zinzan captained the Blues during their dominant 1996 & 1997 campaigns winning consecutive titles.

However, it was not his exploits for these teams that have made him a household name in the rugby world. As a member of the 1987 world cup winning squad, Zinzan’s All Black career spanned 11 years and 58 Tests. He still holds the record for the most Test tries scored by a forward, and was named at Number 8 in an all time world 15 by an international panel of experts. In the Northern Hemisphere, he is probably remembered most significantly for his 47m drop goal against England in the 1995 World Cup Semi final. The sheer audacity of this act is what made Zinzan the player he was. Coupled with that fierce determination to win, he remains one of the legends of the sport.