Jack Debreczeni relishing return to New Zealand
Jack Debreczeni’s return to New Zealand has been both a revelation and a statement of intent.
The 25-year-old has been through rugby’s wringer during the early stages of his career, but has once again hit his straps in the Mitre 10 Cup.
Hailed as a future Wallaby after a solid Super Rugby season in 2015, Debreczeni soon fell out of favour with the Rebels and took his raking punt to the Japanese Top League. After finding success with the Honda Heat in 2017, a return to Australia beckoned.
Rejoining the Rebels on a one-year contract this year, the playmaker showed flashes of a resurgence but was usurped by Wallabies midfielder Reece Hodge in the No. 10 jersey by season’s end.
At the conclusion of the 2018 Super Rugby season, Debreczeni joined Mitre 10 Cup side Northland on a two-year deal, where he has shown a commitment to sharpening his skills in pursuit of furthering his career.
“When I was in Japan last year, my uncle threw out a few messages to a couple of Mitre 10 [Cup] teams without me knowing,” he said. “He got a good response back and that was probably the first time I actually considered coming over.”
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to play. You watch it over the years in Australia and it’s a pretty good competition to watch.”
The shift across the Tasman also brings Debreczeni closer to family.
“I was born in Auckland. I was born in Middlemore Hospital in Otahuhu,” he said. “All of mum’s family still lives in South Auckland. She’s the only one who moved to Australia, so as a kid we would come over two or three times a year for holidays.”
The young playmaker already had a pre-conceived idea of what to expect when joining the Taniwha thanks to glowing reviews from a pair former Rebels teammates.
“Past relationships with Dan Hawkins and Murray Douglas, [they] had spoken nothing but praise for Northland, the club and the culture here so when the opportunity presented itself I jumped at the chance to come over here,” he said. “Playing for the Taniwha, for me, it’s a great honour with the rich history they have.”
Through Northland’s first eight games, Debreczeni has been a standout as he helps the side push for Premiership promotion.
Consistent minutes and a heavy workload in the No. 10 jersey has seen a return to form for the former Australian Schoolboys representative, racking up six try assists and scoring two tries for the Taniwha this season.
Three of his try assists came in the first half of a recent outing – a defeat against Hawke’s Bay – arguably his finest in Cambridge blue. He managed two try assists in 12 games for the Rebels this year.
The Mitre 10 Cup and New Zealand’s provincial rugby system has long been a tool for foreign players to advance their game.
Former England captain Martin Johnson spent two seasons with King Country in the early 1990s – he even represented New Zealand at junior level – while more recently Harlequins wing Nathan Earle impressed during a 2016 stint with Canterbury, and has since worked his way into Eddie Jones’ England squad.
Debreczeni is the latest relishing the opportunity to play in New Zealand.
“Just being around New Zealand, the most competitive environment for rugby players in the world, just getting over here and being amongst a competition where week to week it’s tough footy,” he said. “You’re testing your skills all the time.”
“Every country has its own way of thinking around rugby so getting out of my comfort zone – I’ve been in Australia all my life – to come here and see different structures and patterns, how players think and how coaches think has been good for me. Just adjusting to different things that rugby presents.”
The nature of the Mitre 10 Cup competition provides a tough test for players at any level, with tight scheduling and quick turnarounds wreaking havoc.
“You always want to be playing rugby rather than just running laps of the field,” Debreczeni said. “We’re in the middle of a ‘storm’ week now, or towards the end of the ‘storm’ week so we’ll find out on Sunday how the body feels.”
“You have to get over games pretty quickly and move on to the next week.”
The experience Debreczeni has gained from playing in the Mitre 10 Cup has been priceless and is an opportunity that players from overseas should pursue more frequently.
“I think Australia still needs to establish their competition so I’m not going to say ‘don’t play NRC’. I think it’s vital for Australian rugby that they have that competition,” he said. “But if an opportunity [to play Mitre 10 Cup] does present itself, I would jump at it because you’re throwing yourself in a new environment that’s probably one of the most competitive in the world.”
“You’re testing yourself against some of the best players in the world.
“There’s rivalries and there’s the Ranfurly Shield which makes things a lot more exciting, where I guess the NRC doesn’t have that at the moment because teams don’t have a long history.
“I would say to guys looking for opportunities at the end of the club season or towards the end of Super [Rugby], if they do have the opportunity to come over here I’d recommend it.”
Debreczeni’s Taniwha currently sit third on the tightly contested Championship log, with games against Waikato and Bay of Plenty remaining before a hopeful semi-final berth.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments