McNab, at 85 the oldest surviving Otago All Black, toured South Africa in 1949 with the All Blacks, and yesterday got close to one of the newest pieces of silverware with an All Black connection, the Gallaher Cup.
The cup is contested by France and New Zealand, and made its first journey to Dunedin yesterday, for use in promoting the June 13 test between the two sides.
It was first presented in 2000.
It will be on display in the Octagon today, from about noon, where there is a launch for the public sale of tickets to the test.
The cup is named after All Black captain Dave Gallaher, who captained the 1905 Originals side. Gallaher was killed at Passchendaele during World War 1.
McNab, a flanker from the Owaka club, played in three tests against the South Africans in 1949 and another three against the British Lions the following year.
He enlisted to serve in World War 2 but went home to the Owaka family farm, due to family illness, before he saw any action.
On the long tour of South Africa, when the journey to the republic was made by ship, he was given just one jersey, numbered 20 - each squad member was given a single jersey, and numbers ran from 1-26 - to wear and clean on the 24-match tour.
McNab was an Owaka stalwart, playing only for that club over his whole career.
Ill health will prevent him attending the test but he said yesterday the cup was "spectacular".
A feature of today's launch will be a Dunedin version of a waiters race held in Paris every June.
Waiters carrying trays of drinks will race around inner-city streets to the finish at the Dunedin Town Hall.
Former All Black captains Taine Randell and Graham Mourie will line up in one of the eight teams.
Otago Rugby Football Union marketing manager Chris Green said the occasion was a fun way of giving a French feel to Dunedin for the test.
