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Peter Leitch

Sir Peter Charles Leitch, KNZM, QSM, (born 1944) is a New Zealand businessman, also known as The Mad Butcher. Although well known in New Zealand for the chain of butcheries he founded, Leitch is arguably just as well known for his charity, fundraising work and his promotion of rugby league. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, he left school at age 15 to work as a newspaper boy. He gained a job as a butcher's apprentice at the age of 16. The business he started in 1971 had 37 stores throughout New Zealand as of 2010. Leitch is known for his work for charity and for his enthusiastic support of New Zealand rugby league, the Mangere East Hawks and the Warriors, which has increased the sport's profile in New Zealand. He managed the Kiwi's victorious Tri-Nations campaign in late 2005. In recognition of his support of the Warriors the club have retired the #19 jersey in his honour. The Mad Butcher Suburban Newspapers Community Trust is a fundraising vehicle he helped create to benefit charities. Leitch is chairman of the trust, and the deputy chairman is David Penny, general manager of Fairfax Media Suburban Newspapers Auckland. He has also fundraised for Allergy New Zealand, Diabetes Auckland, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and Macular Degeneration New Zealand. He was voted the 41st most influential New Zealander by Listener Magazine in 2004. He has a memorable way of talking, not unlike an auctioneer, that has caused various spoofs of 'The Mad Butcher' that included the Radio Hauraki character 'The Bad Mutcher' on the Morning Pirates and Pulp Sport formerly had a character named 'The Mad Mad Butcher'. In 2010, Leitch was made a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to business and philanthropy. He was awarded a Queen's Service Medal in 1991 for charitable work. Later that year he featured on the TV One program This is Your Life". In 2011 he was made patron of the New Zealand Rugby League, replacing Helen Clark.