Rugby legend Zinzan Brooke might have retired from rugby, but he has hardly had time to catch his breath,
let alone relax, thanks to his large family, which has recently grown even more with the addition of a baby girl.

The former All Black and his wife Ali now have five kids, and although baby Eden (now 11 months) wasn’t planned, she has been welcomed with open arms. When Ali told Zinzan she was pregnant with baby number five, he was thrilled.

“I was quietly delighted,” he says with a grin. “I knew it was meant to be.” At the time of the surprise pregnancy, the couple were already grappling with the day-to-day dramas of a large family, as well
my God, you’re kidding!’ – I was absolutely thrilled. She wanted to be in this family.”

Little Eden, who Zinzan jokes was named after Eden Park but was in truth named for a family friend, has quickly made her mark. There’s never a dull moment in the Brooke household – and bedtime is a particular challenge many mothers will relate to.

“It’s a mammoth task,” Ali says. “I usually plonk Keira in front of Dora the Explorer so I know she’s happy, and Macy keeps an eye on her. Even though she’s only four, she’s the most responsible one of them all! “These days, when I look at families with only two or three children, I think their life looks so easy. But,” she hastens to add, “I know it’s probably not.”

Eden’s arrival wasn’t nearly as swift as Macy’s – Zinzan had to help deliver her in an English hospital carpark. “I was all prepared for another quick birth,” Ali says, “but with Eden we managed to get to the hospital on time. The staff were ready and waiting, but then it was another hour before she arrived. It was all very relaxed.”

Zinzan is a seasoned pro when it comes to big families. He’s one of six kids himself, but rules out having any more children. “I think five is enough,” he laughs. “Of course, we thought four was enough, but you know what they say – there’s always one that slips through the net. “Having two boys together and then two girls was a nice mix but Eden has tipped the balance in favour of the girls. When I play with the boys I’ll often say, ‘Righto guys, we have to stick together.’

“Sometimes we three boys will be sitting on the couch, and on the other side of the room are the four girls, and I’ll say to the boys, ‘We’re outnumbered here, we’ll have to watch it,’” he grins. “I don’t know how Mum and Dad ever managed to raise six of us. Maybe life was simpler back then.” A lot of the Brooke family’s focus of late has been not only on their children, but on turning their former family home into the most successful B&B in Windsor in a matter of months.

“We’ve made it modern and boutique-y and New Zealand-like,” Ali explains. “There’s nothing else like it in Windsor.” The family now lives in a nearby rental property. Although Zinzan and Ali have bought several properties in the UK over the 12 years they’ve been based there, the downturn in the property market means
they’ll have to wait until it picks up before considering a return to New Zealand.

“Home’s always home, but we live here in the UK now,” says Zinzan. Although the former All Black’s head
injury three years ago – when he tripped and fell on a footpath in the Spanish town of Elche during a rugby tour – means he can never play the sport he loves again, he still enjoys kicking a ball around with his eldest son Lucas, who has inherited both his dad’s looks and his sporting talent.

“He has all the attributes of a good rugby player and he’s really good at soccer as well. It’ll be his choice which
sport he plays – like my mum and dad said to me, ‘Your sport finds you.’ “Riley doesn’t want to play soccer
or rugby, and I won’t push him to do something he doesn’t want to do. I’d like to see him involved in some sport, but you can’t force them,” Zinzan says.

Zinzan met Ali, a professional dancer, in 1986, just before making his All Black debut, and she has been by his side ever since. The couple had been together for 12 years before they got married and 14 before they decided to start a family – something that Zinzan believes has helped them stay strong.

“You’ve got to enjoy each other and be best mates. Any relationship goes through its highs and lows – that’s part of being together. I also think you need to voice any concerns you have and make sure you don’t hold any grudges against each other. “Ali and I have now been together for more than 20 years – we’ve actually been together longer than we’ve spent apart. “It’s so rewarding for us to have these five great kids and to watch them grow. We’re just trying to enjoy them along the way,” smiles the rugby legend