All Blacks show you can reach the top from the provinces

Sport Thought with Brent Eastwood

Couldn’t help but think again how important role models are in attracting kids into sport while watching the All Blacks demolish the Springboks for a second weekend in a row.

For the first time in 12 years, a Northlander wore the black strip and started in a test match, and for the first time in 18 years, a Northlander scored a try in a test match. Fantastic to see, and fantastic for our youth in Northland to see that you can reach the top from provinces such as Northland and Hawkes Bay.

It was ironic that former international stars Ian Smith (Hawkes Bay) and Ian Jones (Northland) were part of the commentary team who were on hand to see their fellow provincial colleagues Israel Dagg (Hawkes Bay) and Rene Ranger (Northland) score wonderful tries while representing the All Blacks from their home provinces.

Just goes to show that it can still be done – we do have pathways from within Northland for our youth to go on and represent NZ in any sport they desire. In addition to Ranger, we have many Northland NZ open representatives who are currently taking on the world from their base in Northland – the likes of Anna Thorpe, Laura Douglas, Ella Gunson and Charlotte Harrison (hockey), Sam Warriner (triathlon), Tim Southee (cricket), Caroline Bon (golf), Blair Tuke (yachting), Fiona Southern (cycling) and Manu Timoti (lawn bowls).

Of course there are many more who have left Northland and have gone on to represent NZ, but the point is the above people show it can be done while also living locally.

Some sports seem to be able to regularly produce them – hockey in particular has been very successful over the years. While cricket and rugby also have a history of this, the relatively recent advent of professionalism has made it more difficult (but as Tim and Rene have shown) not impossible to get to the top from Northland.

All three are ‘major’ sports in Northland, and apart from the fact they all have high participation rates and professionally run administration, they also all boast international class facilities, which attract high quality competition and national/ international role models to the province.

I believe these factors will all contribute to more Rene Rangers, Tim Southees and Anna Thorpes going on to represent their country in the future – a leisurely walk around Kensington Park on a Saturday morning would certainly seem to confirm that the talent is there – and the pathways now in place in many of our sports will ensure this talent is transferred into national representatives.

Sport Thought with Brent Eastwood

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