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'Higher honours' motivation as Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens adopts different blue
The All Blacks dream looms large for Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and was a key motivator in the 22-year-old’s move from the Blues to the Highlanders for 2024, although he could have ended up in a different jersey.
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The Crusaders also expressed their interest in signing the young hot-stepper, but with an excess of outside back talent already on the Canterbury team’s roster, the likes of Will Jordan, in particular, occupying Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens’ desired 15 jersey, the clear choice was to head further south.
The Taranaki outside back will likely have to battle it out with Sam Gilbert for the fullback role in Dunedin, given the club have a plethora of wing talent thanks to some strong recruitment. Coach Clarke Dermody hinted at fullback being his position of choice for the newcomer, revealing that preseason performances will be the deciding factor in who lands the starting job.
That suits Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens just fine as he sets his ambitions sky-high.
“It comes back to another reason why I came down here: opportunity,” he told Stuff. “You can only really be seen for those higher honour teams if you’re on the field.
”It’s every rugby player’s dream from a young age to play for your country and it’s definitely an ambition of mine that I’m willing to work towards over the next couple of years.
“I’ll be putting my best foot forward week-in, week-out. It’s definitely something that I want to turn into a reality.”
That eagle-eyed determination didn’t make the choice to leave the Blues easy, but in the end, the challenge the move presented was just what the youngster was after.
“It was a tough decision. I had found my feet over the past three years and they [the Blues] were the team that gave me an opportunity when I was 19.
“I had a good group of boys I connected with a lot, but I felt in terms of where I want to get in my rugby career, I just needed a change of scenery – to make myself uncomfortable moving to a different place, a different system, a different island in New Zealand to really challenge myself in that regard.
“The opportunity here came up and it [the decision] wasn’t instant. It did take me quite a while and talking with the right people, but ultimately I am up for the challenge.”
A total of 16 players departed the Highlanders after the 2023 season, making room for a new wave of talent to be both promoted from the academy and unearthed from the wider reaches of rival clubs.
Off the field the Highlanders have made a big change as well, welcoming back club legend Jamie Joseph to a Head of Rugby role. The former Japan head coach will oversee the entire program and mentor Dermody.
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It may well have been Joseph involved in Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens’ recruitment, while it was Dermody’s system that enticed him.
“I know in myself where I feel like I’m the best fit in a system, both attack and defence,” he said.
“That was one of the things in the back of my mind when I was talking to ‘Derms’ (Dermody) and the rest of the coaching crew.
“No 15 is the jersey I want to wear this year, and I’m willing to go and work hard for it over these next couple of weeks, this next couple of months and then compete for it.”
Given the huge number of departures after a ninth-place finish in 2023, the 2024 season beckons with an air of uncertainty.
Missing the likes of Aaron Smith and Shannon Frizell is sure to leave an almighty dent, but with Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens joining names like Timoci Tavatavanawai and Rhys Patchel as fresh faces along with the abundance of academy talent finding their feet at Super Rugby level, the team’s rebuild puts them on a promising trajectory.
Exactly when that potential might start earning wins depends on who you ask, and whether they reside in the great south. But, if that next generation is to find form sooner rather than later, they have a willing young leader in the ranks ready to impart knowledge.
“Results haven’t been the Highlanders’ best friend in the past couple of seasons.
“But I feel like I can really step into a leadership role where I can apply things that I’ve learnt up at the Blues and from some of the best players in Super Rugby and in the world over the past couple of years.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Best team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
68 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real speech. They claim free speech. The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
68 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
28 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
68 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
28 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
68 Go to comments