The real estate agent who left retirement to become the Drua's only non-Fijian player
Up until this season, it had been eight years since former Blues playmaker Baden Kerr last played Super Rugby.
He didn’t intend on returning to professional rugby, either, as after a journeyman-like career that had seen him play in New Zealand, England and Japan, Kerr had hung the boots up for good to become a real estate agent.
That was until late last year, when Fijian Drua head coach Mick Byrne – the former All Blacks and Wallabies assistant coach who worked with Kerr at the Blues – gave the experienced pivot an SOS call to plug a gap in the new franchise’s squad.
Fast forward a few months, and Kerr is now back in the revamped Super Rugby Pacific, plying his trade for one of the competition’s newcomers as the only non-Fijian in the entire squad.
It’s a journey that, like most people, the 32-year-old veteran didn’t see coming as he prepared to begin life outside of rugby, but it’s one he has fully embraced since joining the Drua for the current campaign.
“For years, I sort of battled with niggles and injuries, and it gets to a point where I was at a certain age where you want to start focusing on life after rugby,” Kerr told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod of how the opportunity to join the Drua came about.
“I sort of got to a point where I guess rugby was sort of fading out, there wasn’t as many opportunities, wasn’t necessarily playing my best or in my best nick, so decided to sort of let it go and got into a bit of real estate, which was never a plan, ever.
“I’d kind of come to terms with life after rugby. I was starting to feel a little bit settled, and then this opportunity sprung because one of our old coaches at the Blues, Mick Byrne, he’s the head coach here, so he just wanted a conversation around it.”
That conversation proved to be the springboard for an opportunity that Kerr said was unlike anything he’d been offered in his rugby career.
“It sort of came as a real surprise to me, and I don’t think any rugby opportunity, or many opportunities, would have probably captured me like this one did because, I suppose, by taking this opportunity, it’s a lot more to rugby than me,” he said.
“I get to inherit a completely different culture and group of boys that live a completely different way, and in a unique place in Australia here where you’ve still got that familiarity.
“You can duck down to get a coffee and you’ve still got those little familiarities of home that makes you feel comfortable whilst being somewhere that makes you feel uncomfortable, which, for me personally, was a great opportunity to grow.
“For me, that was the kind of thing that kind of made the decision easier for me, because I’m learning so much from these boys and how they live and how rugby to them is fun and it’s a privilege and it’s secondary to the real basic things in life that we often forget.”
A product of Papakura in South Auckland, Kerr is a long-serving stalwart of Counties Manukau rugby, having played numerous seasons for the Steelers in the NPC, and has grown accustomed to the ethnic diversity evident throughout the region.
That, he said, helped him adjust to the challenges of entering an entirely foreign environment as a white New Zealander, which he said was “daunting” prospect.
“I think I’ve been really privileged growing up in Papakura,” Kerr told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“The diversity that we have in Counties Manukau, the guys that I got to play with growing up through the age-group [teams], and a lot of Fijian boys, they’ve had such a special culture, as you know, when it comes to life around the footy.
“I guess it gave me a little bit of an understanding about the type of people they were.
“I don’t think I’ve ever come across a Fijian that isn’t super kind and welcoming and warm, and I think having those experiences with Counties and club footy at Karaka and in Counties Manukau too, it gave me a little bit of confidence coming over here.
“Obviously it’s pretty daunting and wasn’t sure how I’d be accepted, but those small, little interactions I had, like you said, with Counties and whatnot made it, I guess, a little bit easier to blend in, if that’s the right word.”
Among the key differences Kerr has noticed at the Drua compared to other teams he has been involved in throughout the world is the tight-knit culture that binds the squad together through their core values of faith and family.
“I think, for them, family is everything, and they’re sacrificing so much to be away from family,” he said.
“We have boys in the team that won gold medals with the Fijian sevens team, and they spent seven months away from family, and now they’re doing it again with the Drua.
“To them, that’s their why, and it’s so clearly evident, and they’ve also got a really strong faith in Christianity.
“Every single night, we have what we call lotu, which is like a little church service, and you see that they’ve got a greater belief beyond themselves, beyond the game.
“I think that’s what makes them so much tighter, these boys, so much tighter than maybe other groups in terms of culture.”
Since his arrival at the Drua, who are based in Australia for their inaugural Super Rugby Pacific campaign due to Covid restrictions, Kerr has featured in three of his side’s four matches to start the season.
One of those matches saw the Drua notch their first-ever Super Rugby Pacific win against the Melbourne Rebels a fortnight ago, a feat they nearly replicated against the Reds on Saturday.
Kerr is now set to miss his side’s next few matches after damaging his MCL, which will keep him sidelined for between four-to-six weeks, but that hasn’t dismayed his passion for the Drua in what he indicated may be his final season of professional rugby.
“For me to be able to enjoy this properly, I’ve literally got to enjoy one training at a time, because it’s all a blessing and it’s all brand new to me again,” Kerr told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“When you start early doors, you almost are reliant on how you play on the weekend, and you kind of value yourself on that. I kind of want to make sure if I play well on the weekend, that that’s a bonus. I just want to enjoy each day.
“Obviously I’ve picked up an injury right now that’s going to keep me out for a few weeks. I don’t want that to damage my time here because it might be my last season of rugby.
“That’s a very possible reality, and I know I’m sort of here covering for some injuries in terms of 10s and a couple of boys coming back, some older heads and some younger ones.
“I guess I just want to contribute as much as I can, from a rugby point-of-view, but also from a supportive and from a friendship point-of-view for these boys to help guide them because I’ve become incredibly passionate, a massive supporter of the Fijian Drua and the people and who they are.
“I just want to be a part of a journey this season, and then whatever happens after that will be.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe 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
3 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 Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 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!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 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.
30 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.
30 Go to comments