Brett Cameron's Crusaders struggle: 'You're going to get an opportunity and it's all going to be worth it if you can take it'
Brett Cameron, still just in the early stages of his career, has experienced the full spectrum of highs and lows that come with being a professional rugby player.
In 2018, following a breakout season for Canterbury, Cameron was a surprise call-up for the All Blacks squad to travel to Japan. At that stage, the Whanganui-born flyhalf had played a single match for the Crusaders and just two dozen for the Canterbury provincial side.
His talent was unquestionable, however, and when Cameron was announced as one of the newest All Blacks, there was a sense of inevitability that Canterbury had unearthed just one more prodigy to wear the 10 jersey.
There’s simply no better place to hone your talents as a first five than in Crusaders country, where the likes of NZ representatives Richie Mo’unga, Tom Taylor, Colin Slade, Aaron Mauger and Dan Carter all earned their stripes in the last two decades.
There’s also a long list of men who also came close to the black jersey, such as Stephen Brett and Cameron McIntyre, but didn’t quite make that final step up.
The seemingly innate ability that the Canterbury region has for fostering playmaking talent is both a blessing and a curse for young players. While learning from the best and improving your abilities is obviously necessary for long-term growth, there’s always a man standing in front of you as you strive to earn a starting sport in the successful Crusaders side.
Slade, Brett and most recently, Mitchell Hunt, all moved away from the region in the quest for more minutes while others, such as Tyler Bleyendaal and Hamish Gard, departed for foreign lands before they ever really cracked starting berths in Super Rugby.
While Cameron certainly doesn’t have any immediate plans to move away from Canterbury – the region that moulded him into the player he is today – he’s already experienced some of the costs that come with playing for New Zealand’s best first five talent factory.
“Some of the weeks can be tough,” Cameron told RugbyPass. “I think there have probably been a lot of weeks in a row where I didn’t actually play any rugby at all and it can get tough when that happens.
“But I obviously knew that was going to be the challenge here and I just prepare every week as if I were playing.”
When Richie Mo’unga, who started in New Zealand’s crucial knockout games at least year’s World Cup, is the man in front of you, it’s not hard to predict that minutes may be hard to come by. That’s a fact that Cameron has well and truly comes to terms with – but that doesn’t mean the young first five isn’t steadily improving.
The Crusaders are better than most at nurturing their young players waiting on the wings – it’s why they’ve rarely had any blips on the radar since they won their first Super Rugby title in 1998 and it’s why they’ve performed so consistently this year despite losing men like Kieran Read, Matt Todd, Jordan Taufua, Sam Whitelock and Owen Franks overseas.
There are only so minutes spots on the park and only so many minutes available in a week, which is why Super Rugby teams have to resort to methods of up-skilling their young players, despite them not necessarily taking part in full Super Rugby matches.
Cameron learned that when he was first brought into the Crusaders set-up not long after he made the move from Whanganui to Christchurch.
"I was always having words to Jack… I was saying to him, 'Are you ready to move to 12 for me?' And then it eventually turned to, 'Please move to 12 for me.'"
Braydon Ennor spoke to @TomVinicombe about life with @CrusadersRugby. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/IE9Z7qRX2V
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 26, 2020
“It comes back to the awesome development teams that Canterbury has,” Cameron said.
“You only have to look at the percentage of professional rugby players that have come through the Crusaders academy, it’s pretty mind blowing.
“I was actually lucky enough to train with the Crusaders for a lot of the season in 2018, just due to a couple of injuries and stuff and it was good to get a feel of what that was like and get to know a few boys in the group.”
There’s also the Crusaders Knights – the Crusaders ‘B’ side which is used as much for re-introducing injured players to the fold and giving game time to full squad members as it is for developing young players.
“Having the Crusader Knights stuff helps a lot as well,” Cameron said.
“It’s pretty cool to have been on both sides now. Once I was a young guy playing Knights alongside the Crusaders and then this year I actually got to play a Knights game as a Crusader, and it’s great to get to play along with those boys as well.”
When Cameron has spent a lot of time on the bench for the Crusaders in any given weekend, he would sometimes start for the Knights to maintain his match fitness.
“Some weeks, if you’re not playing, you get to play some club footy or a Knights game or something but I think I definitely get a lot out of just even sitting on the bench for a game anyway,” Cameron revealed.
“Even if I do get limited minutes, just building on what we’ve worked on through the week or even just sitting on the bench and listening to the messages that are going out and stuff like that is still useful.
“So I’d definitely take that over playing a full game for another team but I’ve been lucky sometimes to be able to do both. But no, I think I still learn a lot every week just sitting on the bench.”
Only a select group of men get the chance to don the #AllBlacks' 11 &10 jerseys – fewer still get the chance to wear both.
Jordie Barrett revealed to @TomVinicombe the moment he realised how important the number on your back is when you're playing for NZ.https://t.co/u32WecYgJZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 21, 2020
Mo’unga himself is still just a young player and if he chooses to remain in New Zealand, should be well in the frame for selection for the next World Cup – but that doesn’t deter Cameron, who enjoys working with the more experienced Mo’unga as well as the new man in the team, Fergus Burke.
“Fergus and I are good mates. We obviously played at Canterbury together as well, so we get on well and we push each other at training, as well as Richie,” Cameron said.
“We’re all a similar age, so it’s easy to talk to everyone and Richie bring heaps of experience from his All Blacks stuff, so we just pick his brain as much as we can, and he’s awesome.”
With regular starts still not likely to be on the cards for Cameron when Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks off next month (although the probable higher rates of attrition could help him get his foot in the door), what are the one-time All Black’s goals for the remainder of 2020?
“I have to make sure I’m competing at training and every session, I’m pushing Richie as much as I can,” said Cameron.
“Probably also just creating opportunities for myself where I can grow – so putting myself in challenging situations where I make mistakes and get to learn off them. And then, just in the times I’m not in there, making sure I’m alongside Richie the whole time in terms of his prep and learning off him.”
While there’s no doubt that any Super Rugby franchise would be more than happy to take Cameron off the Crusaders’ hands and will certainly be chasing the first five’s signature if he doesn’t re-sign with the Crusaders after this season, Cameron is happy where is, learning and growing as a player.
A career in professional sports isn’t a sprint, after all – it’s a marathon – and sometimes you simply need to bide your time.
“This is the only place I want to be at the moment and I’ve learnt so much already,” Cameron said.
“I guess it is tough at times but you know that you’re going to get an opportunity and it’s all going to be worth it if you can take it.
“You’ve just got to roll with it and make the most of the time you do get – but it’s still been good this year, I’m just excited to be in the 23 each week.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Big 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
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 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 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 comments