When someone asks me, “Which is your favourite Super Rugby team?”, my answer is always met with a raise of eyebrows, followed quickly by a suspicious squint. The facial expressions usually come after I add ‘the Melbourne Rebels’ to my initial answer of ‘the Crusaders’, and almost instantaneously I am asked, “Why do you support an Australian team?” This question, more rhetorical in nature, than a genuine question, is followed by a frown, and again that suspicious squint.
I, Emma Masson-Oakden, New Zealander of reasonably sane mind, willingly admit to supporting both the Crusaders and the Melbourne Rebels.
Now, back to the question of “why do you support an Australian team?” The answer isn’t complex, nor is it multi-faceted. The truth is, I love the Rebels because… well, I love the Rebels. I just do. I saw them playing one night, something about the team piqued my interest and the following weekend I was excited about seeing them playing again. The rest, as they say, is history.
It was only after researching the team a little that I realised that there was an impressive Kiwi contingent in the team, so I can’t even say I love the team because of those Kiwi connections. With that said, as I sit here, impatiently waiting for the Rebels first Super Rugby game of the 2014 season, the Kiwi connection is undoubtedly one of the things that excites me most about the team this year!
Rebel Kiwis? Kiwi Rebels?
Let’s start with the latest Kiwi addition to the team, ex-All Black, Wellington born, Tamati Ellison. Ellison is well known here in New Zealand, having played for the All Blacks, Maori All Blacks, All Blacks Sevens, and age-grade sides. To go with his 77 Super Rugby caps, 29 Ricoh Black Rams caps, and four All Blacks caps, he also has a Commonwealth Games gold medal to his name, having won in 2006 with the All Blacks Sevens team. Ellison plays centre and is known for his dazzling offloads and speed around the field. One of his best performances of 2013 was, perhaps ironically, for the Highlanders against the Rebels. I am sure Rebels fans (and Highlanders fans…) won’t need to be reminded of that magical second half of rugby!
Next up we have Kawakawa-born outside back Telusa Veainu. Veainu played Super Rugby in New Zealand for the Highlanders and the Crusaders, as well as playing in the ITM Cup for Canterbury and for the Hawke’s Bay Magpies. He had an exceptional 2013 ITM Cup season and was a very exciting player to watch – something I am sure will continue in his first season with the Rebels! Veainu has one Super Rugby try to his name, and WOW, what a stunner that length-of-the-field try was (for the Crusaders, against the Highlanders)! In 2013 Veainu teamed up with Crusaders players Andy Ellis, Willi Heinz, Israel Dagg and Robbie Fruean, to form the boy-band ‘C-City Brothers’, raising money for Cystic Fibrosis awareness. They even made it to top of the iTunes charts with their song ‘Never Walk Away’!
Keeping things in the North Island, the next player is Taranaki-born open side flanker Scott Fuglistaller. Fuglistaller joined the Rebels for the 2013 season, after earning over 54 caps for the Wellington Lions ITM Cup team and a brief stint for the Highlanders (two caps). In his first season with the Rebels, Fuglistaller played every game for the franchise, proving himself to be yet another example of the brilliant open side flanker stocks, which seem to flourish here in New Zealand. Fuglistaller has been selected by coach Tony McGahan and the playing group as part of the 2014 Rebels leadership group, alongside Laurie Weeks, Tom English, Hugh Pyle and captain Scott Higginbotham.
Jason Woodward is another Wellingtonian who made the move to the Rebels for the 2013 season. After what was an impressive ITM Cup Season for Wellington, Woodward wasn’t offered a contract by any Kiwi franchises, and so he followed Fuglistaller across the ditch. In his debut season with the Rebels, Woodward scored an impressive 56 points for the franchise, proving he is an ace with the boot, as well as with ball in hand. On the rugby field, Woodward is a jack of all trades, capable of playing at fullback, wing and fly-half. Talking about fly-ing, in his spare time Woodward has been working toward his commercial helicopter pilot license, even making an appearance on ‘Rugby HQ’, showing off his skills in the sky.
The Kiwi connection continues still, with players who may not identify as New Zealanders, but were either born here OR grew up here.
Under the category of ‘not born in New Zealand, but grew up here’, we have loosehead prop Toby Smith. Born in Queensland, he grew up in New Zealand, attending Hamilton Boys’ High School, and representing New Zealand at age-group level. Smith played for Waikato in the ITM Cup and spent four years playing for the Chiefs, before making the move back across the Tasman. Because he was born in Australia, Smith will be eligible to play for the Wallabies. I, for one, would love to see him in the squad… the Wallabies need more Rebels!
Rebels players Paul Alo-Emile (prop, played alongside Smith for Waikato in the 2013 ITM Cup), Jack Debreczeni (flyhalf) and Pat Leafa (hooker) were all born in New Zealand but, after growing up in Australia, now identify as Australians. Prop Eddie Aholelei is another player who was born in New Zealand; moved to Australia as a teenager and now represents Tonga at the international level.
I have only highlighted the CURRENT players with a Kiwi connection. That doesn’t take into account past players (such as Ged Robinson, now playing for the Highlanders), or those people working behind the scenes, who have a connection to New Zealand.
I will finish this piece off with two little thoughts…
- As a Kiwi, I love seeing the players I have mentioned doing so well for an Australian franchise… but at times it makes me sad that those players aren’t playing so well for a New Zealand franchise!
- Related to my first ‘little thought’… I bet certain New Zealand coaches are kicking themselves at letting such awesome talent slip through their fingers!
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