New Zealand U20's first five abandoned his Arizona baseball dream to stay in rugby
Cooper Grant was bound for Arizona on a baseball scholarship in 2022.
The opportunity fell on his lap after leaving Nelson College in 2021 but he’d have to wait eight months before baseball season started and the paperwork was complete to reside in the “Copper State.”
Restless, Grant returned to rugby where his form was so impressive he caught the attention of the Crusaders Academy.
Grant eventually abandoned his baseball dreams and has just been selected for the New Zealand Under 20s to compete in the inaugural SANZAAR Under-20 Rugby Championship (TRC) on the Sunshine Coast.
New Zealand will meet South Africa on Thursday, May 2, Argentina on Tuesday, May 7, and Australia on Sunday, May 12. Grant is a versatile outside back with a preference for the ten jersey.
“I got bored so I put the boots back on and fell in love with rugby again,” Grant told RugbyPass.
“The rugby environment in Tasman and the Crusaders is awesome. The prospect of leaving friends and family to go to such a big place where I knew nobody was daunting.
“I can play fullback, second-five, or ten. I like ten because I can lead the boys around the field. I’m a triple threat: catch, pass, and run. Attacking the line and moving the ball at pace are key parts of my game.”
Grant was a crucial figure in the Crusaders Under 20 Super Rugby success in Taupo.
Under the coaching of Kieran Coll (Canterbury U19 National title winner), Alex Robertson (Canterbury Assistant), Hoani MacDonald (Tasman), and Brandon Smith (Tasman) the Crusaders conquired the Highlanders (40-24), Blues (26-22) and Chiefs (31-17) to capture the title.
“We had three camps before the tournament which set us up well. The boys connected straight away and we simplified the game plan from last year, which gave the boys more confidence to play what was in front of them,” Grant said.
“We made hard work of the Blues semi-final, but defence was a massive part of our culture. Defence is about working hard for each other, refusing to give an inch, and making those extra efforts when you’re totally knackered.
“Our forwards were brutal in the final. We won the collision, shut them down out wide, and were able to express ourselves a bit.”
Grant thrived in the Nelson College First XV, a traditional powerhouse in the Crusaders region.
Nelson has won three Crusaders First XV championships since 2019. The astute Jono Phillips, a key mentor of All Black Beauden Barrett (123 Tests, 734 points, 101 wins) is Nelson’s coach.
Nelson has produced four All Blacks in the last decade: Ethan Blackadder, Mitchell Drummond, Leicester Fainga’anuku, and David Havili.
“Jono came in 2019 and we did well winning the South Island final and making the National Top Four, ” Grant reflected.
“In 2020 we were a younger side who lost a couple of close ones but were heading in the right direction with mantras like ‘be professional before you are professional.’”
“In 2021 we won the South Island final again. My favourite game was against Otago Boys’ High School. It was my first time playing at Forsyth Barr Stadium which was a massive trip and Otago Boys were huge.
“We also beat Christ’s College twice in our Quad final and the Crusaders championship final. In both games, we made crap starts but came from a long way behind to win.”
In the Crusaders championship final, Nelson was down 15-3 at halftime but prevailed 22-20 following a try by Timi Sauria, converted by Grant, close to full-time.
“The Quad” is one of the oldest secondary school tourneys in New Zealand. It stretches back to 1930. Nelson was even further behind in that final. College Sport Media reported:
“Down 20-3, Nelson was cracked open three times, the same way. Assertive forward charges were followed by skip passes from pivot Jack Shearer to the flying wing of Jack Belcher who completed a first-half hat-trick. Christ’s were held up over the strip and denied from a narrow forward pass too…Irvine-intervention! Dylan thrust ahead and muscled over with the last play of the game. The conversion was kicked by Grant and Nelson salvaged an improbable 27-25 triumph. Nelson has won the tournament five times in the last seven years.”
Affiliated to Ngati Porou and Rangitane o Wairau, Grant was selected for the New Zealand Under 18 Maori team.
If that wasn’t impressive enough Grant was a shortstop and pitcher in softball and baseball capable of pitching the ball at 90mph.
He was the youngest player, aged 16, to represent the now-defunct Auckland Tuatara in the Australian baseball league.
Grant represented New Zealand in multiple age group teams, including New Zealand Under 23. His scholarship to Cochise College was to further his academic studies and to play baseball in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
Cooper is the son of New Zealand Softball Hall of Fame pitcher Marty Grant. Marty played 54 tests for New Zealand between 1990 and 2009, winning 53 of them, including the World Series in 1996, 2000, and 2004. He holds the all-time Black Sox record for games pitched, innings pitched, strikeouts, and wins. Grant was named New Zealand Softball Player of the Year in 1991 and was Pitcher of the Year five times. He won eight provincial championships with Wellington, six of them consecutively, and also secured five national club titles with Poneke-Kilbirnie. He also spent several years playing in the North American leagues with a variety of teams.
“I grew up around the diamond and was pretty lucky to rub shoulders with the likes of Mark Sorenson, Thomas Makea, and Jarrad Martin who were all legends of the game who played with Dad,” Grant said.
“Dad never put any pressure on me to play softball or baseball. I loved it. I was fortunate enough to play professionally for the Tuatara at 16. If they stayed around, I might still be playing, I don’t know.”
Grant plays his senior rugby for Marist in Nelson where former All Blacks prop Kane Hames has assisted with the coaching. They were runners-up in the 2023 competition.
Comments on RugbyPass
If stormers aren’t available. Based on form and likely availability at the time of the wales Test, you’d think Masuku would be a no-brainer to start. But starting Jordan also makes sense having Masuku come off the bench to close out the game. I’d start Jordan with his brother Jaden. Masuku and Nohamba off the bench.
2 Go to commentsGlad Tom Curry not playing needs time to recover such a great player also his brother Ben how well is he playing now .
1 Go to commentsLet’s examine what might be irking the brainless E: Up until 20 years before this coming Julys tests: 16 games: 14 wins for SA; 1 win for Ire; 1 draw From 20 years until July’ tests Ireland V SA: 13 matches Ireland won 8; SA won 4; 1 draw Points scored Ireland 261; SA 189 Ave Winning Margin: Ireland 11 points; SA 4 points (away 3, home 6) Away win record: Ireland 33.33%; SA 25% Neutral matches 1: Ireland win RWC France 2023. Last SA win June 2016 (8 years ago) They boast 3 World cups in that period (they do boast). The above record is not good, probably not much better than theirs against NZ for same period. That’s why the dopey E is starting fights in his head. He will probably ship a yellow when things don’t go their way in the first test.
127 Go to commentsGoode is like a wet fart on The Rugby Pod and should be shoved aside. Jim knows what he is on about and can get on better without Goode’s nasty little cheap shots.
127 Go to commentsBrumbies will win, crusaders are pretty awful this year
1 Go to commentsThis has the makings of a good match. That’s Leinster’s second team but its a good one (stronger than the teams in SA recently). Ulster are really turning a page. Ryan back is huge, and Keenan too. This could be a cracker.
1 Go to commentsThe Farrells are one of the great father and son combinations. Andy was an RL great, and had he played Union as his first sport, I would be sure he would have been avery significant forcewas in League. And Owen, a Union great, who had he played League, would could have been a great there too i all probability. I feel my attitude to Owen has mellowed as he has aged, and in the post Jones era, evolved and shown his full range of talents. He really is an all round player, and I have wold hope his move to France will be successful. He may even be the piece in the jigsaw that Racing need to rise to challenge Toulouse and LAR. He is ofc now approaching 33 years of age but should still have enough left to make a big contribution in France for at least2/3 years.
45 Go to commentsI reckon it may be Jordan at 10 and Nohamba at 9, both players have played together alot and both have been on the Radar for a long time. After Pollard got injured in 2022 with Elton sidelined on a path of self destruction Erasmus and Nienaber indicated that the other options in the country at the time were thin but that Jordan and Manie were the 2 they were looking at. In the end Frans steyn played flyhalf, Willemse slotted in there on the end of year with Libbok as back up. Jordan was right there in the thinking back then so expect him to take the Jersey either as the starter.
2 Go to commentsHaha did he also* say it in a sarcastic teacher sort of manor or was it the petulant English snob sort of wail?
45 Go to commentsWell said Mils. It is a big boost at last having Fergus Burke back at 10 for the Crusaders. Had a great season last year as the article says. Mils is also right about captain Codie Taylor’s performance in his return to the Crusaders last week. He was all class.
4 Go to commentsLet’s make them both Capt. I think we'd get the best of both of them and it would help alleviate some of the pressures of the role. They'd have to confer over on field decisions which should lead to “ learnings “ for both. They are our two best consistent performers.
16 Go to commentsOur best player by far..but not a good Captain..poor tactician cost the AB'S and Canes games by not taking the easy points and going for tries when the lineouts were a shambles..can he read a game? And his throat slitting gesture should disqualify him from the AB Captaincy..it is not the appropriate behaviour of an AB Captain.
16 Go to commentsForget what was said or how many players said it. TONY BROWN IS THE NEW ATTACK COACH. That’s the only story worth freaking out over. The springboks are going to grow their game an awful lot over the next cycle and it’s not just the 19 disgustingly arrogant Irish players who refused to shake Ebens hand and said “see you in the final if you can cheat your way past France” who will find that out first hand.
127 Go to commentsOn one hand I think it's a bit ridiculous that this gar into the season and with only 2 wins the Crusaders may make the finals. On the other hand if it was only top 4 or 5, then that last several weeks may be mainly dead rubbers. Nope, 8th place after round robin shouldn't be able to lift the trophy.
4 Go to commentsI do think the media in NZ treated him badly. Sam is a legend. He is humble, a great rugby mind and leader. What happened in the final could happen to anyone. The margins is so fine these days. I lay blame at the feet of the coaching staff and NZ rugby. The stats tell’s all. The AB’s was the worst disciplined side in the WC with more red and yellow cards than anyone else. Problem is NZ rugby is not training their players to play safer. And thats the danger a fast game brings. More yellow and red cards. But Sam Cane in my eye was and still is a great ambassador for the game, that just had a stroke of bad luck.
9 Go to commentsI hope Jim and co. Add this to their list of icebreaker questions they can ask all their guests going forward. So we can eventually hear what everyone thinks about this subject. “What do you think Ireland meant…”
127 Go to commentsHe’s a dominant personality. That might be both a good and bad thing in team dynamics. Certainly it ruined Smith’s first crack at 10 with Owen at 12. BTW, Bristol flatter to deceive. When things really matter, they tend to deliver less rather than more. Farrell would have been good for them
45 Go to commentsGot a lot of over the top abuse from Crusader fans, in particular, who thought every 7 they had was miles better. Now we will see if anyone is better? Laid his body on the line every game so finishing early makes sense. A lot of life left after rugby.
9 Go to commentsA poor decision to appoint Carley as not only is Pearce a better referee but also importantly speaks French.
2 Go to commentsHe is 100 % on the mark. Malicious arrogance with a lack of respect for the other teams mostly the south. they must learn from True rugby nations like the Boks and Kiwis
127 Go to comments