A STRONG cohort of homegrown talent will headline Southland's rugby training academy for next year.
Rugby Southland announced their 2024 Ralph Moir Ltd Academy with the year one group featuring several of the victorious national champion Southland Boys High School (SBHS) 1st XV squad from this year.
The list included SBHS the impressive prop JJ Fisher (New Zealand Barbarians U18), tireless flanker and outstanding leader Gregor Rutledge, athletic number-eight Justin Shaw, workhorse lock TJ Gallen and hard hitting, skilful midfielder Jerome Buckley Fa’atoia.
All of these players had been selected for the 2023 Highlanders Schools Squad as well.
Rugby Southland Academy and Pathways Manager Scott Eade said his priority this year was to ensure he identified and secured our best talent locally.
“JJ, Gregor, Justin, Jerome & TJ have all worked extremely hard this year, what I like about each of them is their stories as well as the challenges they’ve overcome are all different.
“Having these quality young men commit to our programme is fantastic and exciting for our region,” Mr Eade said.
Rugby Southland had secured several players from around the country to enhance its Phillips Group representative teams including the Supreme Site Works U19 squad in 2024 as well as the SBS Bank Southland Stags moving forward.
Palmerston North Boys High School midfielder Tayne Harvey and outside back Napier Boys High School Josh Augustine would both be part of the Highlanders High Performance Programme in 2024.
Mr Eade said it was an exciting first for Rugby Southland having players from outside the region in the Highlanders programme commit to Southland over neighbours Otago at provincial level.
“We have been on the lookout for quality young backs who will be a good fit in our programme while also adding real value on the park, we are excited Tayne and Josh have chosen us to help take their game to the next level.
“Our job now is to get to work and help these quality young men achieve their goals while also enhancing and building the Stags NPC squad moving forward” Mr Eade said.
Additionally, Auckland Grammer 1st XV captain Louis Lepionka, John McGlashan College halfback Henry Scott and Hamilton Boys High School first five Wyndham Patuawa would also train with the Stags NPC squad.
A portion of the academy would train in Dunedin while completing their tertiary studies.
They would play in Dunedin during the club rugby season and in Invercargill during their study breaks for the NPC season.
“Many of these lads will be in contenders for the Highlanders U20 programme not only next year but for someone like Gregor potentially the next three years,” Mr Eade said.
Players would receive Strength and Conditioning support while in Dunedin while also having rugby sessions delivered during the club season.
New Zealand Secondary Schools winger and prodigious talent Kiseki Fifita is heading away to complete his mormon mission in early 2024 and would be unavailable.
“Rugby Southland would like to wish Kiseki all the best as he embarks on the next exciting chapter in his life.
“We look forward to staying in contact and seeing him return home in a couple of years,” Mr Eade said.
Hunter Fahey and Liam McIntosh would also be returning to the academy next year and Kaea Nikora Balloch and Hunter Areaiiti Burgess would enter their third year at the academy.
