'Speedway first, rugby second': How racing helped emerging All Blacks star's rugby journey
It’s been a rapid rise for Cam Roigard, the 22-year-old made his All Blacks debut during this year’s Rugby Championship and now finds himself making a compelling case for a spot in the 21 jersey for this weekend’s quarter-final.
Roigard landed a spot in the New Zealand team ahead of the likes of Brad Weber, who was fresh off a dominant season with the Chiefs, and Aaron Smith’s aspiring understudy at the Highlanders, Folau Fakatava.
It was Roigard’s impressive triple-threat skillset that raised eyebrows in Super Rugby Pacific, a booming left boot and sniping running game were two areas where he outshone his competition, finishing the tournament top three in offloads along with nine tries. The passing was also more than up to scratch.
The young Hurricanes halfback earned his call-up as a World Cup bolter, one of three All Blacks rookies to make Ian Foster’s Rugby World Cup squad, and has subsequently earned two starts at the tournament.
Just five Tests into his international career, he may well be named in the All Blacks’ biggest Test in four years.
“Obviously, I’m loving it,” he told The Front Row Daily Show. “It’s obviously happened pretty quickly, eight months ago or a year ago even, I wouldn’t really think I would have been here.
“I had goals and stuff at the start of the year and they probably seemed a little bit unrealistic at the time, but it was something to strive for and keep pushing towards and I’m pretty grateful that I have been able to tick some of those off as the year’s gone on. To be here now preparing for a quarter-final is pretty cool.”
Ireland awaits in the pivotal Paris clash, having defeated the All Blacks twice last year in a historic three-game series that wrapped up with a decider in Roigard’s home Sky Stadium in Wellington.
Having watched that match from afar, Roigard has no experience playing against the world’s No 1 team.
What he does have, is driving experience. Growing up in a speedway family, Roigard says his experience in racing has helped his vision on the rugby field.
“I grew into it, Dad raced for years and it was sort of just a part of growing up really. It was speedway first, rugby second. Or, rugby in winter, speedway in the summer.
“It’s quite interesting, when we’re in Ministock which is the kids’ class, you sort of have to use your peripheral vision to avoid crashes and feel who’s around you and stuff and I suppose on the field it’s a little bit similar. If you’ve got a line break or someone’s coming behind you, you sort of feel where your support is and stuff like that.”
Once rugby prevailed as Roigard’s preferred sport, he was faced with a tough decision. Competition in his home region of Waikato was fierce, and there was one young star who was always ahead of him.
“I went to St Peter’s Cambridge and was in the Waikato pre-academy, which is for year 12 and 13. There wasn’t really much of an opportunity at Waikato for the academy, and Counties (Manukau) showed interest so I thought that was my best opportunity to get potential game time. So, made the decision to go up there.
“There was Cortez (Ratima), who’s my age. He was probably the top one in Waikato.
“It was quite funny, it got talked about, playing club rugby in Waikato that they wanted us playing against each other, not in the same club and I thought about that from an NPC perspective, I don’t want to be stuck behind these guys in the academy or in NPC, I’d rather be somewhere else and play against them to try to prove myself.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Hard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
3 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to comments