Play Rugby in New Zealand

Making the decision to Play Rugby in New Zealand is the ultimate test, an opportunity to take your game to the next level.  Many players who register with Inside Running enquire about the opportunity to Play Rugby in New Zealand. Those who make the call to do it don’t regret it!!

Playing Rugby in New Zealand isn’t something to be feared, rather an experience to be embraced.  You will develop a deep appreciation for New Zealand’s diverse cultural identity, meet some super friendly locals while exploring the most stunning landscapes.  In between the rugby make time to unwind in stunning, adrenaline filled Queenstown, relax in thermal mud of Rotorua or kick back on the golden beaches of the Coromandel Peninsula.  

  

Contrary to urban legend there are a variety of grades and levels in New Zealand rugby, not every Kiwi club team is stacked with the likes of Ardie Savea, Brodie Retallick or Jerome Kaino.  There are numerous small-town clubs and rural teams providing opportunities for players of all abilities and skill levels to enjoy the game. 

The New Zealand season is short, about eighteen weeks in total. Starting in mid-March and ending late July. Most New Zealand clubs will require that you arrive mid-March at the latest. If you expect a club to pay for your flight, it’s imperative that you include recent video footage on your Inside Running registration page. 

      

If you’re a playing at RFU Level Six or Seven you should definitely apply for one of our NZ Heartland club vacancies.  While rugby in the twelve provinces who compete in the Heartland Championship is certainly physical and competitive, the pace of the game is slower and there are more opportunities to play eighty minutes every week due to lower playing numbers in the rural areas.

Somerset front rower Dan Morgan who also played National Leagues rugby for the Taunton Titans spent a season playing for Te Aroha Cobras in the Thames Valley province. “It was a great experience” recalls the burly front rower. 

“Te Aroha is a small town of 3000 people were everyone knows everyone. The town actually has two competitive club sides, both with 1st and 2nd teams. There were eight senior sides in our Thames Valley competition who we played twice during the regular season, before the top four play semis and finals.” 

“We would travel across mountain ranges to the coast to play teams of forestry workers, fishermen or farmers.  There’s not much strength and conditioning work done in Valley but most of the guys have physical day jobs.  They work hard during the day, train on Tuesday and Thursday nights, play their game and then rip into the pints on Saturday night. There are some great bus trips” he laughs.

While the standard of rugby in Heartland provinces is certainly lower than the fourteen professional Mitre 10 Cup unions, some very good players cut their teeth at that level. All Black forwards Carl Hoeft, Keith Robinson and Kevin Schuler all played their early rugby for TE AROHA COBRAS as did current Sydney Rays NRC fullback Josh Turner and Matt Hema who is now playing in the midfield for Cambridge in National One. 

          

At the end of the club season you could be selected to play provincial rugby in the Heartland Championship.  Weekly highlights are replayed on Sky TV every Thursday night. The Heartland Championship is played on Saturdays, teams fly nationwide providing a fantastic opportunity to experience top level rugby while exploring different parts of the country.

The level of Heartland Championship is more akin to National Two. This season four former All Blacks including Corey Flynn and Piri Weepu played for Heartland provinces as did a number of former Mitre 10 Cup and Super 18 representatives.  Before becoming an All Black Waisake Naholo played for Wanganui in the Heartland Championship while All Blacks hookers Dane Coles and Cody Taylor both played their early rugby in the Horowhenua-Kapiti province. 

A couple of English internationals including 2003 World Cup winning skipper Martin Johnson, who spent two seasons playing for King Country and Tom Wood (North Otago) relished the opportunity to play for Heartland provinces.  Johnson credited his time in New Zealand as being pivotal in the development of his playing career.  Other unexpected bonuses emerge through Heartland rugby.  During his time playing for the tiny Tihoi club, Martin Johnson met a lovely local girl who is now his wife! 

Don’t expect match fees, return flights or free accommodation to feature in any offers you receive from Kiwi clubs.  There is no money in New Zealand club rugby, no millionaire backers or big name sponsors.  The standard New Zealand club package is a one-way flight, help finding suitable accommodation (player maybe expected to pay his share of the rent) and assistance finding work.  Gym access, club gear, registration fees and shared use of a vehicle could also be included. 

Be prepared to undertake any form or work offered, all New Zealand club players work fulltime. Rural clubs may offer labouring or farm work.  No experience is required, however an attitude to get stuck in is essential.  “A player who is lazy off the field will also be lazy on it” is a popular New Zealand adage. 

                                                        

“When I played for COBRAS I was also working fulltime as an apprentice plumber” recalls former All Black prop Carl Hoeft. “We had club training with COBRAS every Tuesday and Thursday night from 630pm until 8pm.  I was also fitting in extra running or weights in my own time. That graft gave me the edge. I was selected for the New Zealand Colts in 1995 while playing for Thames Valley, then went onto play for Otago, the Highlanders and the All Blacks.” Working, training and playing at amateur level in the Thames Valley developed the mindset required to play at professional level” explains Hoeft who rounded off his career with the six seasons in French Top 14.”

    

   “Loads of blokes talk about playing in New Zealand but the majority chicken out. Just piss talk” concludes Dan Morgan. “Without a doubt it was one of the best experiences, not only in my playing career but also my life.  I’ve been back to stay in Te Aroha twice since my season there in 2009 and have made friends for life. I would recommend a season in New Zealand it to every UK player I meet.”