Gore, home to the brown trout and an impressive rugby production line

The eastern Southland town of Gore and surrounding districts is a goldmine for rugby talent, and schools from outside the region are circling. Logan Savory takes a look at the situation.

Kids rugby shouldn’t be defined by results. There’s obviously much more to primary age sport than that. It also isn’t about producing future professional players.

But sometimes there’s a crop of young players who cannot but raise eyebrows.

It was the case at the AlbionExcelsior Rugby Club in Gore a bit over a decade ago.

Sean Hurley remembers getting the group of five-year-olds together to play rugby at Albion Excelsior. Included was his son Finn.

He recalls fondly just how quickly the kids embraced the game.

‘‘The boys just wanted to play rugby, and they wanted to play it properly,’’ Hurley says.

By 2015 Albion Excelsior was dominating the under-13 Southland country-wide A grade competition.

The club fielded two under-13 teams that year and both went unbeaten through 10 games. The only time they played each other ended in a 12-12 draw.

One team was called the Bulls, the other the Rams. Cameron Millar was the Bulls’ top point scorer, and Finn Hurley the Rams’.

That in itself prompted a 2015 Southland Times article highlighting the unique group of young players. But what has unfolded since makes for an intriguing second chapter.

Seven years on Millar is now the Highlanders under-20 team’s starting first five-eighth, while his former Albion-Excelsior buddy Hurley is the team’s fullback.

On top of that Hayden Michaels is the Highlanders’ under-20s openside flanker, and Jack Taylor the starting hooker.

Impressively, four of the Highlanders under-20s team’s starting lineup are products of Albion-Excelsior’s class of 2015.

A fifth player, Harrison Morton, is also part of Otago’s preseason squad preparing for the 2022 National Provincial Championship.

‘‘I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or what it is,’’ Sean Hurley says when reflecting on what has since unfolded.

Hurley says Millar in particular stood out at a young age for various reasons.

‘‘He was one of the more balanced players. He could run, he could kick, he could pass, and tackle, and would make good decisions.

‘‘He also put an awful lot of time into his goal-kicking, he’d be out there after training kicking until he couldn’t really see the goalposts.’’

Unheralded production line

The Eastern Southland town of Gore and surrounding districts is a rugby talent gold mine. There’s the proof to back that up.

But whether that production line has received the recognition it deserves over the years remains debatable.

As is whether Southland rugby, at a Stags level, has maximised the benefit of that talent pool.

Halfbacks Justin Marshall and Jimmy Cowan were both schooled at Gore High School before progressing to the All Blacks.

Damian McKenzie’s rugby career was also born in Eastern Southland before ending up in the All Blacks.

Prop Ethan de Groot’s passion for his hometown hasn’t wavered since emerging as Gore’s latest All Black.

That was highlighted when asked about his thoughts on Washington during the All Blacks’ trip to the United States in 2021.

‘‘Yeah, the old Washington Monument. She’s no brown trout,’’ de Groot said humorously as outlined his preference for Gore’s town statue.

While de Groot started out at Gore High School he finished his schooling at Southland Boys’ High School.

When he was first named in the All Blacks in 2021 he made a plea to Southland parents that their kids can also make it from Southland.

‘‘I’d like to think I’ve inspired parents and kids to stay in Southland and do their schooling in Southland,’’ de Groot said.

‘‘There is a pathway. It is tough ... you don’t get a lot of the limelight, but it can be done.

‘‘A lot of parents send their kids away out of the province to do their schooling, and they go on from there, but hopefully I can inspire some people to stick to their roots. It can be done.’’

That crop of impressive AlbionExcelsior juniors is an example of the challenges Southland has in retaining the talent located in the eastern part of the province.

Hurley, who has been described as the new Damian McKenzie, left Gore High School in Year 11 to attend Otago Boys’ High School, while Millar shifted from Gore High to Otago Boys’ for his Year 13.

Morton had earlier joined Otago Boys’ and the trio is now entrenched in the Otago rugby system.

McKenzie himself headed from Gore to Christ’s College in Christchurch for his last secondary school year.

The good news, for Southland rugby fans at least, is Michaels and Taylor have remained in the Rugby Southland system and are both contracted.

Sean Hurley, who himself is a former Southland outside back, is aware of the disappointment in Southland around the exodus of talent to Otago.

‘‘I still cop a bit of flack from down [in Southland] about dragging people away to the Otago system but in the end of the day it was [the boys’] decision.’’

From a sporting point of view those youngsters have been provided with more opportunities than if they had stayed in Gore, Hurley says.

‘‘Southland Boys’ might have been a bit different, but if they had stayed at Gore High they probably would have got missed, especially these days. Who knows whether that’s right or wrong.’’

Hurley concedes maybe some in Southland rugby could have been more proactive in trying to keep the young talent in the province.

When those boys had made the decision to head to Otago Boys’ the phone did start ringing, but the ‘‘horse had bolted’’, he says.

It’s not a debate Hurley really wants to get into.

He’s simply a deservedly proud day watching his son Finn make his way in both rugby and life.

Finn is contracted with the Otago Rugby

Union for two years on a development-type contract.

What to do

Whether provincial unions should feel obliged to enter into some sort of tug-of-war over players during their school years is debatable.

With the way the rugby production line is set up there is a feeling that you need to be at one of the ‘‘big rugby schools’’ to maximise your rugby development.

However, Michaels is an example that you can in fact capture the required intention while at a smaller school, such as Gore High school.

Some will suggest the opportunity to play in regular tough, intense interschool fixtures at those so-called big rugby schools is where the benefit comes.

If so, that may be just where New Zealand Rugby’s pathway programme is flawed. There is a feeling from some that there too much emphasis on school rugby.

Should Southland’s traditional powerhouse rugby school – Southland Boys’ High School – have played a lead role in trying to lure the likes of Hurley, Millar, and Morton to their school and in turn keep them in the province?

Long-serving Southland Boys’ first XV coach Peter Skelt says no. That’s not his role, or philosophy, he adds.

He says there’s no doubt there is a growing trend of talented Eastern Southland players heading out of the province, and that was disappointing.

But despite that increased interest from Dunedin schools in Southland’s talent, Skelt isn’t keen on getting into a recruitment war.

He says their philosophy is to not chase players from other schools, and that won’t change.

‘‘We want to encourage Southlanders, just like Gore High and St Peters I’m sure, that there is a pathway through the Southland system. That’s our philosophy.’’

‘‘Everyone thinks we do [recruit players], but we don’t. I can sleep easily in bed knowing we don’t.

‘‘Don’t get me wrong, if the boys want to come to Southland Boys’ themselves, we are always going to allow that, but we won’t chase them.’’

Skelt hopes those Southlanders who leave will return to their roots in the future and line up for the Stags because they are good

Southland people.

Although he knows that’s tough to make happen when those players end up entrenched in other provincial systems.

At a time when Dunedin schools are circling Eastern Southland talent, junior rugby numbers in general are also on the decline. Schools are now struggling to put together teams as a result.

It’s highlighted by the fact Gore High has had to link with Menzies College to form a first XV team this season to play in the Southland under-18 competition this season.

Applying selection pressure

There are few who have monitored Eastern Southland rugby’s situation as closely, in recent times, as Bretton Taylor.

Taylor coaches the EasternNorthern Barbarians team which plays in Southland’s premier competition.

The Gore-based Barbarians were formed 10 years ago to provide a pathway for country players to not just play premier club rugby but also push for Stags selection.

Taylor acknowledges they would have liked to have seen more players progress to the Stags, or the Rugby Southland academy setup for that matter.

Taylor’s aware of the talent that has been floating around the area over the years. He feels there could be an argument that Southland rugby had ‘‘dropped the ball’’ in regard to making the most of the talent out Gore way.

However, he adds there is some positive work starting to happen now. He’s been impressed with Rugby Southland development officer Scott Eade who has been travelling to Gore to work with players. He has also had positive discussions with Stags assistant coach James Wilson about working closer together.

Taylor says it’s simply up to the Barbarians team to put the best foot forward to promote their talent. ‘‘We’ve got some good young players in this [Barbarians team],’’ Taylor says.

‘‘We’ve just got to get to winning ways and apply some pressure that way.’’