[1] Not to be confused with the North Harbour and 1997-98-2001 All Black halfback of the same time, Mark Robinson was an intelligent and gifted midfield back who never reached his full potential for two major reasons.
A post graduate student at England's Cambridge University, he earned not only honours degrees there in political studies and philosophy, but also appeared twice in the famous Varsity match against Oxford and was awarded two blues.
Because of these Robinson missed all of the 2001 NPC season for Canterbury and all of the Super 12 for the Crusaders in 2003, the latter break effectively ending his international career by ruling him out of consideration for the World Cup squad.
From the same district in coastal Taranaki as another of New Zealand rugby's small band of intellectuals, Graham Mourie, Robinson also moved to Wellington to study at Victoria University.
Most of his first class rugby in the 1994-96 seasons was with New Zealand Universities, for whom he played in eight matches including the world student games in South Africa in 1996.
This proved to be his most effective season and as well as the All Blacks he played pretty much all of the year with the Crusaders, winning another Super 12 title, and also appearing regularly for Canterbury in the NPC and in Ranfurly Shield defences.