All Blacks and Super Rugby stars reveal which team they want to play for in North v South exhibition match
Late on Friday afternoon, All Blacks coach Ian Foster revealed the eligibility criteria for the now confirmed North Island v South Island exhibition match.
The game, which is currently scheduled to be played on August 29th, will effectively act as a trial for the All Blacks squad – which Foster also revealed could be named the morning following the clash.
Fans and pundits have speculated for months what the best criteria would be for deciding a player’s eligibility. In Australia’s State of Origin series, which is the best modern-day comparison, players must have resided in their state prior to when they turned 13 – or have had a father play for their state.
Most suggestions out of New Zealand were that your eligible island should be based on where you were schooled – though there’s always been plenty of debate surrounding whether your junior or senior years of high school should be used as the measuring stick.
That’s not what New Zealand Rugby have decided, however, at least according to Foster’s comments.
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“We think the best legacy thing for us to do is to pick players probably on the first province they played for because the choice they made when they played first-class rugby for that province was probably the start of their move into the professional game. So, we think that’s the best criteria,” Foster said.
Prior to the announcement, a number of senior Super Rugby player had given their take on their own eligibility.
Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall, who was schooled at St Peter’s College in Auckland and plays his club and provincial rugby on the North Shore, indicated that he’d prefer to represent the island where he plays his Super Rugby.
“I’d probably actually put my hand up for the South team, if I’m being honest,” Hall told RugbyPass.
“For me, if they kept those rules for what they did last time, I’d presume I’d be in the South team. I’ve kind of got both feet in both camps, really, so it wouldn’t really bother me either way.”
Hall is referring to the most recently contested North v South match which took place in 2012. Players were selected based on their Super Rugby allegiances at the time which meant that Robbie Robinson, who’d played all his rugby in the South Island prior to that season, wore the black strip of the North Island due to being contracted to the Chiefs.
All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown, who’s played his senior rugby for Waikato and the Chiefs but grew up in Christchurch, said he’d value the opportunity to play for the South Island.
“How I see it working is that it’s linked to your school and I’d see myself as a South man,” Lienert-Brown revealed to RugbyPass. “One of the reasons why is because I’d love to have that feeling of representing my school and that’s where, I guess, South really feels right to me.
“It’s the opportunity to represent my school and I guess the people I grew up with and all my family down there.”
“That was just the thing to do – you play your rugby down there, you stick down there, and then they may bring other players in.”
Anton Lienert-Brown spoke with @TomVinicombe about why he did the unthinkable and left the Canterbury region. #SuperRugbyhttps://t.co/A9dB11NvuS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 11, 2020
Lienert-Brown was brought north to the Chiefs by Wayne Smith, who’d flown down to watch the centre play for Christchurch Boys’ High School against Christ’s College – who also had Damian McKenzie on their ledger.
Like his Chiefs teammate, McKenzie also wouldn’t mind representing the South Island.
“I obviously played my first club rugby up in Hamilton [which will likely make McKenzie a North Islander for the contest]. I obviously grew up in the South Island so if I was going to put it out there, probably [choose to play for] the South Island, where my roots are,” McKenzie said.
The Invercargill man wouldn’t be too disappointed wherever he played, however, and quickly added that he’s a big fan of his new home.
“Look, if I get to play in it, it’d be nice. Wherever it is, wait and see. Hopefully, that’s not too controversial, [picking] the South Island. North Island’s a great place, love Waikato.”
Jack Goodhue, like Hall, played his schoolboy rugby in Auckland, representing Mount Albert Grammar School alongside his twin brother Josh. While Goodhue is now a Crusader through-and-through, he’s not too fussed about selection.
“I don’t even know if I want to make that decision,” Goodhue said to RugbyPass. “Man, I think about that opportunity to play with some guys in the North Island that I haven’t played with before… But then to go back and play with the Crusader boys and Highlander boys. I mean, I think it’s going to be two very good teams. It’s all good either way.”
Despite the fact that Goodhue now plays his rugby for his home province of Northland now, he played three seasons for Canterbury when he first moved down to Christchurch. That would make him South Island-qualified – which would see him squaring off against brother Josh.
It’s the same situation for Lienert-Brown, who would play on the opposite of the field to older brother Dan, who’s played all his provincial rugby for Canterbury.
“I just didn’t have that same attachment to the Blues.”
Jack Goodhue spoke to @TomVinicombe about his move from Northland to @CrusadersRugby and where his North v South allegiance lies.https://t.co/G3yDGVjMj5
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 7, 2020
While the men’s North v South fixture has been all but officially confirmed by Foster, there’s also a chance that a women’s version of the match would take place.
Black Ferns star Kendra Cocksedge is in two minds about her allegiance, having been raised in Taranaki but played all of her senior career for Canterbury.
“It’s a tough one because I would love to play for the North but Canterbury’s been where it’s been for me,” Cocksedge told RugbyPass. “I’ve played here the last 13 years, and I think it’d be rude for me to turn my back and go and play in the north.
“I reckon I’d literally have to flip a coin and see what happens.”
Perhaps Cocksedge could play for the North Island in the first half of the match, to represent her roots, then swap sides at half-time?
“Yes, that’d be great because our jerseys at halftime just go from red and black to yellow and black,” Cocksedge said, referring to the strips of Canterbury and Taranaki.
“Yes, I think just with what Canterbury’s done… I’d love to play in the north and I’d also love to play in the south, I guess, so it’d literally be a flip of the coin.”
There’s been some speculation that the eligibility criteria for the match has been used to keep the two teams on a fairly even keel and to make the game more of an All Blacks trial. Whatever the case, the battle on August 29th will have every player giving their all for their designated team – regardless of where they originally saw their allegiance falling.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments