a great read.
in the mid 70s I went to a rugby school in the north of England. I was rather upset this school never played football, but had no choice because this was the grammar school my 11 plus placed me at. the team I played in was coached by current rugby players. One from Union, the other league. It went 76 matches from 1st to 6th form without defeat. Not just without defeat, but without dropping a single point. This included many games against school sides throughout England, Wales and France. who had heard of our record, and took a go at us. I can safely say that only one player from that side went on to be capped by his country. None by England. Not sure how many went on to be capped by their county, as I had since left. Several players from the school went on to be trialed by local football teams, but I am guessing few were ever approached to continue with rugby, and why would you, back in the 70s? The point is that rugby has never quite had the infrastructure enjoyed in NZ for decades. The school I went to was later renamed and adopted football as its premier sport and introduced the world to one Steven Gerrard. I bet no one can name their capped rugby player.
Well... We are a rugby nation. Every boy who has played rugby, typically, wants their offspring to play rugby, unless they have had a bad experience along the line. Grassroots rugby is huge here, it's one of those things (I'm assuming here, I don't have kids), but you're watching them grow, over here in NZ, and they're like "man... I cannot wait till they are old enough to play rugby". That is actually a very common thought here. Just like football is in the UK. That is the thought of a lot of male parents, in the UK.
I actually grew up in the UK, and, to be honest. Rugby is not really an accessible sport. NOWHERE near as accessible as football. Literally, I only went on the field for P.E. in the colder/wetter seasons. This was at secondary school, we had uniforms etc. but getting out there and playing lunchtime rugby was not a thing. In the colder seasons, the kids would just play football on the concrete tennis courts, or practically anything concrete and flat. There would be a lot of effort to change into some sports gear and play at lunchtime. Kids do it here in NZ, but its THE sport. Being a part of the First XV is actually quite a status here. Because a huge percentage goes for those places. Typically, the captain of the First XV in highschool is the head boy of the school, when they get to their last year. It is a huge culture/status thing. You don't just simply walk onto the team, or at least, not a good school's team. A lot of hard work has to be done, because the places are in high demand. Schools have their own First XV weights coaches, just as an example of how serious it actually is. It honestly would be hard going trying to even play a game of 7s in a UK school, at lunchtime. And that's probably where it all starts. I don't feel like the weather in the UK helps the sport either tbh. Especially not for grassroots and kids trying to get into it. I mean, I hate to stereotype the UK, but I lived there... and the English Winter weather really is dreadful. Because in schools it is a season sport, over here, kids play rugby all year round, even if there is no rugby running.
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Sounds funny someone bemoaning lack of depth anywhere in NZ. Am I confusing island wingers as New Zealanders when I watch super rugby. Hence my comment on winger depth. Naholo and savea not good enough then?
Savea is a left-wing for the Hurricanes. Naholo a right-wing for the 'Landers. And that's really where we then have a drop in talent, at this very moment. Nehe Milner-Skudder is a fullback playing right-wing for the ABs, he's obviously injured. The wingers at the Crusaders don't play their international rugby for NZ. The Highlanders have Patrick Osborne, who has donned a black jersey, but as I mentioned above, drop off. Hurricanes have Cory Jane, who is past it. The Blues and the Chiefs are the most likely to produce the next All Black winger. At the Blues you have Tevita Li(21), Ben Lam(25), and Rieko Ioane(19) and the Chiefs have James Lowe(23), Shaun Stevenson(19), Latu Vaeno(21), and Sam McNicol(20). As I said though, the listed above are either a big drop off to the starting All Black wingers, but typically, for that group, they are still young and not quite there yet. But I believe Stevenson and Lowe both prefer fullback...? So, I'm assuming they go for the position with the ABs that their club plays them at, which is wing.
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The most likely I believe, of that list. Will be Rieko Ioane. I mean, we already have two of, what I would suggest, were the most feared wingers in Naholo/Savea... But Rieko... I just have this feeling he's going to be something else. He is already doing work at 19 years old... He is turning grown men inside-out, and beating international wingers/outside backs.
