'Who wouldn’t want to come here': Crusaders' latest wing recruit out of Northland
Geographically and culturally Northland and Canterbury are about as diametrically opposed as you can get. Yet the Crusaders have a history of turning players from Taniwha country into champions.
Jack Goodhue (81 matches, 66 wins) was a mainstay of the Crusaders midfield that won Super Rugby titles every year from 2017 to 2023. In 1998, Norm Maxwell’s try in the final against the Blues was pivotal in securing an unlikely maiden championship at Eden Park. On the wing, that season was the late Norm Berryman. ‘Stormin’ Norman scored nine tries in 13 matches and won the hearts of Cantabrians with his flamboyant style.
Northland didn’t have a memorable NPC in 2023, winning just two of ten matches. However, left winger Heremaia Murray had a breakout season, scoring eight of Northland’s 28 tries. His pair in a 32-5 win against Tasman was an especially exceptional display. In 2022, he was part of a tenacious Taniwha outfit that won six matches, including first wins over Auckland in 46 years and Wellington in 22 years.
“I would have preferred to have more wins than good personal form, but I’m excited to be going to the Crusaders. Who wouldn’t want to come here with their success and the people they have,” Murray told RugbyPass.
“Norm was before my time but I’m aware of his legacy. Jack Goodhue, I’m more familiar with. Rivez Reihana is here too, so it’s good to have that Northland connection.
“I’d attribute my form to greater game time and better connection with the boys. I’ve been in the environment for a while now and have the confidence to really express myself.
“It means so much more playing for your home province. Northland is where my family is from. The jersey is what I wanted to wear growing up.”
Murray was raised in Te Hapua, the most northerly settlement in New Zealand, and Ahipara close to Kaitaia. He attended Te Kura Kaupapa Maori Pukemiro, where his father Mike was the principal. Rugby came naturally to Heremaia who settled among the forwards in often free-spirited competition.
In 2014, his world would be turned upside down. The year 10 student was sent to board at Auckland Grammar School.
“There are more people at Grammar than there are in Kaitaia. You’d walk down the hallway and see a face you’d never see again.
“I played Under 15s and second XV in the forwards. In my final year, I made the firsts, and the coach took one look at me and said, ‘You’re a winger. I was like, ‘What bro.’”
Dave Askew was the coach. He’s been around teenage boys for a long time. In 2014 he coached the First XV to a 1A title. Future All Blacks, Reiko Ioane, and Shaun Stevenson blossomed. In 2017 he was coach of the Auckland Under 19s who won the Jock Hobbs National Memorial tournament.
Askew mentored Kiwis and All Blacks winger Matt Duffie who underwent a similar conversion.
“Dave’s a good coach and a better person. He took an interest in you and explained things. There are lots of people out there whose lives he’s influenced,” Murray acclaimed.
Heremaia became something of a legend at Grammar in 2017. He snatched an intercept and sprinted 80 meters to win the annual grudge match against King’s College 17-13. A crowd of more than 5,000 people were in attendance.
“I don’t remember much about the intercept. Once it was done, it was on to the next job. Grammar instilled that attitude,” Murray said.
“What I do remember is the hype and excitement around the match. Those big First XV games you’d circle in the calendar even if you weren’t playing in them. It was a massive deal, a real highlight of the year, and some of those games used to be on TV which was big.”
While driving a truck, Murray had stints with Counties Manukau and Auckland, where he played in 2021. He was selected in a New Zealand Under 20s training squad but found his feet back in Northland.
Murray will be competing for a place on the wing in the Crusaders with Sevu Reece, Macca Springer, Manasa Mataele, and possibly Dallas McLeod who covered the right wing so admirably last year.
The Crusaders start their Super Rugby title defence in Hamilton with a final replay against the Chiefs on February 23.
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments