Tane Edmed explains how ‘stint in New Zealand’ sparked Wallabies rise

Tane Edmed has explained how a small stint with North Harbour in New Zealand’s NPC changed everything for the fly-half, who took his game to an all-new level after being named in the Wallabies squad for the 2024 Spring Tour.

Edmed had been on the cusp of higher honours for quite some time, making two appearances for Australia A in 2022 and later holding down the fort as the regular first-choice playmaker for the NSW Waratahs in Super Rugby Pacific.

Under then-coach Darren Coleman, Edmed wore the No. 10 jersey in all but four appearances for the Tahs in 2024. The West Harbour junior came off the pine in matches against the Hurricanes, ACT Brumbies, Western Force and Queensland Reds.

Following that season in the famed sky blue jersey of the Tahs, Edmed flew over the ditch after signing for North Harbour in the NPC. That proved to be a career-changing decision for the fly-half, who quickly became a household name in New Zealand’s provincial competition.

Edmed made 10 starts in as many matches that season, scoring 228 points as one of the clear standouts of the tournament. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt rewarded Edmed with a spot in the Spring Tour squad, going on to debut off the bench against Ireland in Dublin.

“It got me into the squad initially. I had a Tahs season, didn’t really finish how I or we would have liked as a team,” Edmed said on Kick Offs and Kick Ons, as seen on RugbyPass TV.

“Then went across to New Zealand for three months, four months and had an absolute ball of a time. They know how to do the off-field stuff the Kiwis and that was a lot of fun.

“Kind of just taught me to just relax a little bit to be honest with you, and just enjoy it a little bit more and just play with a lot of freedom and it got me into that squad for the Spring Tour last year and got my foot in the door.

“I definitely attribute a lot to that little stint in New Zealand.”

Edmed lined up at first five-eighth for a star-studded North Harbour side that included the likes of Shaun Stevenson at fullback, try-scoring machine Kade Banks on the wing, and New Zealand U20s flanker Tristyn Cook.

North Harbour only recorded three wins from their 10 matches, finishing 10^th on the ladder at the end of the round-robin, but Edmed reached new heights. Edmed scored two tries against Manawatu in round six, leading North Harbour to victory.

Edmed looked both confident and fearless while playing in the provincial rugby competition, scoring some impressive tries and starring as a chief game-driver as well. It was an important season in the course of the future Wallaby’s career.

“It seems to be a lot more player-driven over there. I was playing NPC so it is somewhat semi-professional so it will be relaxed naturally,” Edmed added.

“I just noticed how the boys connect with each other and how we as players, and especially me as a game driver, got given the keys and given the freedom to play how I wanted to play. That was probably the biggest thing.

“Just a different way to approach rugby. I’m probably someone who tends to be, in the past, very structured and rigid and a bit stiff probably. It just got me out of my shell a little bit and just taught me to get away from the game of rugby and relax and just enjoy it for what it is.”