'The first person to shake my hand was Sam Whitelock': Crusaders rookie wing's unlikely rise
In 2018 Macca Springer was told he was too young to play for the First XV at Waimea College, Nelson.
Three years later he was a winger for Tasman in an NPC Premiership final and in 2022 he was contracted by the Crusaders.
“It’s pretty surreal to think how quickly it’s happened. You don’t really realise when you’re in the moment,” Springer told RugbyPass.
“I was in Year 11 when I was told I couldn’t play for the First XV. There was a competition rule they changed the next year which was pretty frustrating.
“I started thinking I could go somewhere with my rugby in Year 12. I was having a lot of fun with my mates, physically grew, and started making a few rep sides.”
It’s not always easy to get recognised playing rugby at Waimea College which Springer described as “a bit of an academic school.”
In fact, with the First XV unable to assemble enough numbers for their own team they joined forces with eight others to compete under the banner of Waimea Combined in the Crusaders First XV championship.
Some players were sourced from as far as Takaka and Murchison, an hour and a half away from central Nelson.
“It was pretty tough at first because we never knew how many would turn up to training and Thursday was often the only time we fully trained.
“There were some pretty long bus rides down to Christchurch, but I believe the key to success in any rugby team is connection and because we spent so much time together, we became tight mates.”
Waimea Combined won half their games in the 2020 Crusaders competition including the scalp of fancied next-door neighbours Marlborough Boys’ College.
Springer was exceptional at centre or fullback throughout the season, reserving his best for heavyweights St Bede’s College.
“We beat them 17-10. That was a special day at the office. We still talk about it. I had a reasonable day too.”
Springer scored all three tries and a conversion. Later he was named the Philip McDonald Memorial Medal winner for the best schoolboy player in the Crusaders region. Fellow Crusader All Blacks Leicester Fainga’anuku and Mitchell Drummond are past recipients. McDonald was a former Crusaders board member who lost his life in the Christchurch earthquake.
“That award is really special to me. To see the others who’ve gone before me is humbling. It is a real credit to the boys and our coaching staff that year of James Lash, Jeremy Salton and Rik Taikato.”
Unsurprisingly Springer was secured swiftly by Tasman Mako and scored a try on debut in a 51-14 win against Southland in 2021. Two matches later he came off the bench in the Premiership final.
Unfortunately, Tasman relinquished their two-year grip on the title when they were beaten 22-20 by Waikato in Hamilton.
“That was a tough game and I hurt with the boys. Then it was like I played a final at 18. Some players go through their whole careers without making a final. It’s a result to spur you on to greater heights.”
Following exhaustive training in the Crusaders Academy, Springer soared in 2022. In June he was a member of the New Zealand Under ’20s who won the Oceania Championship on the Gold Coast. Springer scored tries in the 32-9 win over Argentina and the record 69-12 obliteration of Australia.
Tasman failed to make the semi-finals of the NPC for the first time since 2011. It was no fault of Springer who scored a team-leading eight tries in nine games including doubles against Canterbury, Manawat? and Auckland.
“The Manawatu game was my favourite because we won, and I felt I played really well. Though we got pumped by Canterbury it was good to get one over a few mates by getting a couple of tries.
“I believe we could have won the competition last year. We failed to win a few key moments. There were only slim margins in most of the games. Injuries didn’t help either but that’s not an excuse. Everyone deals with that.”
The Crusaders have been impossible to deal with in Super Rugby since 2017 winning the last six championships. What has Springer noticed about their unique culture?
“The way they welcome you from the start,” he answered.
“On my first day, the first person to shake my hand was Sam Whitelock, the All Black captain.
“There’s lots of knowledge sharing which really helps. Growing up I watched a lot of Will Jordan. All the little extras he’s got to his game like footwork, kicking and positioning. Now I’m working with him every day which is awesome.”
Springer is a junior of the Waimea Rugby Club home to Irish wing James Lowe and Highlanders cult hero Marty Banks. His father Steve played centre for the club along with a bundle of the family at various levels.
A talented basketball player, his cousin is Nelson Giant Nic Trathen.
Vintage Crusaders Wings
Caleb Ralph, 52 tries, 126 games.
Norm Berryman, 15 tries, 30 games
Rico Gear, 30 tries in 40 games.
Scott Hamilton, 22 tries in 58 games.
Nemani Nadolo, 27 tries in 40 games.
George Bridge, 37 tries in 83 games.
Sevu Reece, 44 tries in 55 games.
Will Jordan, 35 tries in 45 games.
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments