Meikle: Tell me about the job, and why it really appealed to you.
Jury: Having worked in this space at the Highlanders for five or six years, and then crossing into the coaching space too as well, when I saw the role available, I sort of thought, what I really want to be able to do in any role is have an impact and influence, and I felt like I had the experience to do so.
I had a wee taste of New Zealand Schools in 2022 and 23, and I really enjoyed that. There was lots of really awesome crossover and experience I had at the Highlanders, which I felt could make an impact and influence this role.
You’ve always been really passionate about developing and upskilling young rugby players?
Yeah, I guess that’s the teacher in me. I’ve come a long way since teachers’ college in 2001.
Are young rugby players different these days? Has that forced you to adjust over the years to how you approach them?
We definitely need to adjust because what society is doing now is making things a lot easier for us, making information in the palm of our hands, and how that information is, I guess, fed into social media streams. I feel like it’s really important that we adjust and adapt to that to help with their learning and development.
Yeah, there’s definitely a change, but a good change as well. And I think it keeps little old minds like ours ticking away.
Are you going to get to do plenty of hands-on coaching?
Yeah, definitely. The head coach role is about ensuring I’ve got skin in the game. And I feel that’s where my experience with the whistle around my neck can help this group as well.
It seems like a big job. You ready for the challenge?
Big job. Really exciting job. We know there’s a huge amount of talent right across our country. We get to see some players who might be 14, 15 years old and we get really excited about that one person, one young player.
But the harsh reality, or the great reality, is that there’s thousands of them scattered across our country. I think what’s important is being able to really connect them with our provincial unions to help and guide them around their talent identification and their development.
One part of my role is to be immersed with the All Blacks and what’s happening up in their environment, and ensuring that what’s going really great is shared down into our age-grade space.
New Zealand hasn’t won the world junior title since 2017, though making the final last year was obviously promising. Are you optimistic around the state of this nation as a nursery for talent?
I feel like we’ll always churn out really talented young players. We are very good in New Zealand when we play each other, and the more times where we can create those opportunities to play against each other will serve our game really well.
You’re running an under-20 camp in Taupo with 100 players this month. Does that make up for the loss of the Super Rugby under-20 competition?
Having this camp allows us to really grow together and play against each other. The provincial under-20 competition later on this year will be really good as well. Our programmes are very different to others around the world but I feel like we have got a unique point around our people, our culture, a real sense of belonging.
I feel like that’s a really important part, and it’s my responsibility alongside the other people in our group to ensure that’s very strong.
An absolute shame to lose the Super Rugby under-20s but there’s a plan put in place. This is where we’ve landed for now and we will do the best we can to nail that.You have been heavily involved with recruitment and development for the Highlanders.
Which young men have you been really pleased to see come through?
I guess there’s players like Will Stodart and Jack Taylor. Fabian Holland - it’s fabulous to be able to get the balance right with him. Josh Whaanga coming in young and learning his way - that’s been really good to see.
Dylan Pledger was someone I spoke to in year 12 to really convince him to stay at 9, not to play at 10, and he’s been tracking really well. Josh Tengblad is doing extremely well, and Tayne Harvey as well. They’re all young people who we’ve seen as really important to our region.
I know guys like Hayden Michaels will be working really hard to get back into the frame. He’s still young. Jake Te Hiwi as well. I feel like all the boys that have come through that programme have really impressed me.
I probably had the easy part, I reckon, around putting a programme together. The club always provided me with resources and a lot of people went over and beyond what their scope was, particularly around S&C and physical and medical.
I know you’ll be overseeing players at all our Super Rugby clubs but I imagine your heart will always be in the South?
Clinton is the place where I really ground myself. The memories that were created there, where I’m born, and I spent a lot of my school holidays there. I think it’s important to always recognise that. Coming from South Otago - I’m pretty proud of that.
And I’m still going to be based down here. I’m becoming very good at Teams meetings and Zooms.
