PHOTO
Does this rugby player have the greatest hairstyle in New Zealand?
Charlie James and his mother Suzanne were honed in by Sky Sports cameras while they were watching the Crusaders match against the Chiefs at a packed out One New Zealand Stadium.
James, 18, who plays as a hooker for the Lincoln Combined first XV in the Miles Toyota Championship, sports what is known as a skullet – shaved on top, but grown out in standard mullet fashion at the back.
A screenshot of him and Suzanne was shared online by the Alternative Commentary Collective, captioned “what a lid on the kid”.
And it is not the first time Sky Sport cameras have focused on him for a crowd shot.
Said James: "It's happened in the past before, other sporting events. A few years ago at the rugby, the ACC also posted about me, and Rugby Highlight, another Facebook page, posted about me once.”
"At the cricket, they always had me on TV at the Super Smash games and Katey Martin (TVNZ cricket commentator) used to love talking about me. I've had people ask for photos of me a few times.”
It is something he takes in his stride.
"Not too (shocked), it’s pretty good.”
In the clip taken during the 72nd minute of the game, James is shown shushing his mum.
Suzanne told Selwyn Times her son was trying to tune in to the referee.
“We have sports ears, so we were listening to the commentary, and he had switched it to the referee, that’s why he was telling me to be quiet,” she said.
James, a year 13 student at Lincoln High, first grew his mullet during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, before shaving the front off during an under 15s rugby trip three years ago.
"I ended up shaving it short on top and I had a Jonah Lomu fringe on at the front. I had that for a while and then I've just kept it short ever since.”
But mum is not a fan.
"I don't mind if he's got the mullet, but the skullet is just not that pleasant. But he's always been a wee bit quirky,” said Suzanne.
"About three or four years ago they were doing a fundraiser at school for Movember but, of course, the children don't grow moustaches, they grew mullets. My other son (Ned) had a massive big mullet and he raised 500 bucks for charity to get his shaved off.
“I was like: ‘Charlie, do it, do it’. And he was like: ‘No, I'm not doing it’. He's not budging with that bloody thing.”
James said he had received mixed feedback on the skullet but it was mostly positive.
"My mum absolutely hates it, I've had coaches laugh at it, my friends all laugh at it, they either laugh at it or hate it. I've had teachers compliment me, say it's an incredible haircut, it just looks better every time they see me.
"At my game (last) Saturday, one of the opposition players was actually complimenting me on it, quite a bit. (I get) more compliments.”
Lincoln Combined coach Jade Britain is a fan of the haircut.
“That personality is what I like. Professional sports sort of kills some of that personality and behaviour and identity, even at the top end of first XV, you feel like they're media trained,” he said.
“We give him a bit of stick about it, but I'd rather him be proud of who he is than anything else.”
James said he has no designs to get rid of the skullet any time soon.
“I haven't thought about that too much, I'll come to that when I reach there.
“It’s how people know me, it’s just so I can stand out more.”