I’m currently living in Auckland where I was born 78 years ago. New Zealand has always been a Rugby Union mad country with the All Blacks front and centre. I have never been part of that hysteria.
Going to school here, back in the day in Auckland, could be very difficult if you played rugby league. I started playing league when I was five years old and even back in those days there was a strong, well organised rugby league club structure.
But our game was never allowed to be included in any school sporting activity and once you started high school it became even worse.
Certainly, in the school I went to, you were often canned for playing league for your club instead playing rugby for the school.
Believe it or not, even when I coached the Kiwis in the 80’s we often struggled to find suitable training grounds during wet weather. Rugby had many perfect fields, but we were not allowed to use them, because we were league.
In 1985 we prepared for a Test match against Australia training on Auckland’s Takapuna Beach. We beat Australia in that game 18-0.
But – and this is a big but – the tide has turned. The popularity of the NRL on TV and the outstanding images of speed, skill and excitement Kiwi viewers are seeing weekly from the Warriors has led to a massive shift of thinking by the once one-eyed “kick and clap” fans.
All sport is great for kids, but for me it has always been rugby league. Many of my mates were rugby union mad and some even played for the All Blacks, but something about their game was always missing as far as I was concerned. Rugby Union may always be considered the national game of NZ, but times have changed.
When we look now at what is popular with the kids, both boys and girls, the NRL is leading the charge and I have to say I love it!
