Keith Murdoch was sent home after an altercation with a security guard in Cardiff although he never arrived in New Zealand.

Instead, he slipped into obscurity, living a quiet, hardworking life in and around Tennant Creek while rugby fans searched the world for him.

It was only when he was called to give evidence at the inquest of a young Aboriginal man who was found near the bottom of the massive open cut mine at Nobles Nob that his famous past was revealed.

During the court hearing, national and international media converged on Tennant Creek, desperately seeking a glimpse of the man whose colossal reputation mirrored his physical appearance.

As he had done for the 30-or-so years since he turned his back on fame and fortune, Murdoch ignored the attention.

He even turned down a $50,000 offer from a magazine editor to tell his story - glancing at, then screwing up the fax which had been sent to him via police.

Now New Zealand Rugby Union wants to honour Murdoch’s All Blacks career by awarding him with a cap at a special ceremony to be held soon.

The organisation is trying to trace about 400 All Blacks to present them with All Blacks caps after the practice faded during WWII until 1997 when it was reinstated.

New Zealand Herald sports writer, Wynne Gray, thinks the effort to track Murdoch is a waste of time.

“My advice to the New Zealand Rugby Union would be to post him an invitation to the capping ceremony and include the badge with the offer,” he wrote in a recent article.

“That’s if they can find his address. Try c/- Tennant Creek Post Office where he last surfaced.”

The story continued: “Write him a letter, post him an invitation, send him some mementos, make him an offer but don’t expect him to front.

“Murdoch likes his time in the sun but only in the Australian outback.”