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New Zealand hope a domestic Super Rugby-style tournament for the country’s top youth players will pave the way to internationals against Australia and Pacific nations after cross-border competition at junior level was wiped out by COVID-19.
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While professional and test rugby have sputtered back to life after the disruptions of 2020, junior competitions remain effectively shelved, clogging up a key pathway for young talent into senior levels.
The World Rugby Under-20 Championship, scheduled for mid-year in Italy, was cancelled last month for a second successive year due to the pandemic.
With junior rugby to remain a domestic affair for the time being, New Zealand will stage a week-long “Super Rugby Aotearoa Under-20” tournament from April 11.
The under-20 sides will compete for the same five provinces in the professional Aotearoa tournament, along with a sixth ‘New Zealand Barbarians’ team.
Adding novelty, all three of the matchdays in Taupo will be broadcast live by New Zealand’s Sky.
The viewership may be limited to New Zealand’s most devout fans but it will be a vital first step for the country’s top youths to get back into the swing after the whitewash of 2020.
“It’s an interesting group this one, because they didn’t play any rugby last year and so everyone in high performance is dealing with young athletes that have bounced out of a really weird year,” Tabai Matson, head coach of New Zealand’s under-20 programme, told Reuters.
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“There will be pretty much the best kids in the country on show, so it’s exciting and new.
“There may be some rule variations. So it’s also a great opportunity to have a look at a different way of playing.”
BEEFED-UP PROGRAMMES
Much like the All Blacks in test rugby, New Zealand have, until recently, been virtually unbeatable at under-20 level.
The ‘Baby Blacks’ have won six of the 12 World Rugby Under-20 Championships but slumped to seventh in the 2019 edition in Argentina, their worst ever finish.
With the All Blacks dumped from the World Cup semi-finals the same year, some New Zealand pundits linked the disappointment in Japan with the flat-lining performance at under-20 level.
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Matson dismissed the relationship but conceded rivals had beefed up their junior programmes.
“Is the competition getting stronger? Absolutely it is because it’s better prepared than it was five-10 years ago,” said the former Waikato Chiefs assistant coach.
“I think we’re producing a lot of talent. I can’t compare it to other people’s programmes but what I’ve heard is South Africa, for example, get their under-20s together for six months before they go to a tournament.
“That just can’t happen in New Zealand. Our players are committed to their provincial and Super franchises.
“If your desire is to win the (global) tournament every year then you probably have a different programme.
“Our programme is to create adaptable players that can go further in our game and transfer into Super Rugby successfully.”
Like the professional Super Rugby sides in Australia and New Zealand, Matson hopes the New Zealand government will soon approve a travel “bubble” with Australia.
The removal of quarantine requirements in New Zealand for travellers from Australia would pave the way for international under-20 competition to resume between the countries.
Rugby Australia also hope the under-20 Junior Wallabies can take on New Zealand and Pacific nations in an Oceania tournament at some stage this year to drive momentum forward.
“Any time we’ve got a tournament with Pacific Islanders and Australia in it, we’re always happy to smash our brothers across the Tasman and Pacific,” said Matson.
“We want Oceania to be strong because they’re our cousins, brothers and sisters.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing Peter Rutherford)
Comments on RugbyPass
He never stops whinging. No wonder he is always chasing the next big dream.
1 Go to commentsI always enjoy a good scrum based article. Thanks, Nick. The Hurricanes are looking more and more the team to beat down here in Australasia. They are a very well balanced team. And though there are far fewer scrums in the game these days, destructive power in that area is a serious weapon, especially an attacking scrum within in the red zone. Aumua looked very good as a young first year player, but then seemed to fade. He sure is back now right in the picture for the AB’s. And I would judge that Taukei’aho is in a bit of a slump currently. Watching him at Suncorp a few weeks ago, I thought he was not as dominant in the game as I would have expected. I am going to raise an issue in that scrum at around the 13 min mark. I see a high level of danger there for the TH lifted off the ground. He is trapped between the opposition LH and his own powerful SR. His neck is being put under potentially dangerous pressure. The LH has, in law , no right to use his superior scrummaging skill….getting his head right in on the breastbone of the TH…..to force him up and off the ground. Had the TH popped out of the scrum, head up and free, there is no danger, that is a clear penalty to the dominant scrum. The law is quite clear on this issue: Law 37 Dangerous play and restricted practices in a scrum. C:Intentionally lifting an opponent off their feet or forcing them upwards out of the scrum. Sanction: Penalty. Few ,if any, referees seem to be aware of this law, and/or the dangers of the situation. Matthew Carly, refereeing Clermont v Munster in 2021, penalised the Munster scrum, when LH Wycherly was lifted very high, and in my view very dangerously, by TH Slimani. Lifting was coached in the late ‘60’s/70’s. Both Lions props, Ray McLouglin, and “Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan, were expert and highly successful at this technique. I have seen a photo, which I can’t find online atm, of MM with a NZ TH(not an AB) on his head, MM standing upright as the scrum disintegrates.
3 Go to commentsHey. Stay home and play for Mooloo.
1 Go to commentsTighthead was always going to be our weakness this year with Ryan going home to Ireland and the Cashed Up Blues taking a third All Black prop from us - nobody else in SR does that. Numia is the exciting one. He used to be a lightweight but he's really improved. Do you have stats on the All Black hookers’ lineouts for the game? I seem to remember a few misses.
3 Go to commentsFergus Burke isn't tier 1 player quality…but guess what, he'll be playing amongst them for Saracens…. all going well and Steve Borthwick is still the head coach, England...Scott Robertson’s hint of amending NZRU’s offshore AB eligibility clause, would mean that players like Josh Moorby who show potential might get a call…
4 Go to commentsThe movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
2 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
46 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
3 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
46 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
46 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
4 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
8 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
46 Go to comments