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How to tune into Sport NationDoes schoolboy rugby in New Zealand have a problem?
Jaxin Daniels • September 30th, 2025 3:03 pm
New Zealand schoolboys during the haka before taking on Australia U18 | Photo: New Zealand Rugby
Off the back of New Zealand Schools falling to their worst defeat in history, losing 81-48 to the Australia U18 team in Canberra, Scotty and Izzy deep dive into the state of Schoolboy rugby in New Zealand.
“I think we need to widen our search base,” Izzy suggested.
“There has to be a lot of talent here that is unidentified, and we’ve heard a lot of stories, there’s Luke Romano that started playing rugby when he was 28,” Izzy exaggerated.
“He hadn’t made any teams and was a builder on site, then went on to win a World Cup.”
Izzy’s stance on schoolboy rugby comes from a position of care, he wants to see the sport excel.
“I want to see rugby do great, I want to see it thriving,” Izzy expressed.
“But I want to see it accessible for every young kid, that doesn’t have the flashy boots, that doesn’t have a ride to training, that doesn’t have a lot of the privileges that a lot of other kids have.
“What makes me happy is knowing that some of these kids that grow up in difficult situations are given a chance to play a game and change their lives.
“For me, rugby has changed my life and given me so many opportunities I never ever dared to dream of when I was a young kid growing up in a state house in Hawke’s Bay.
“That’s what sport can do.”
One of the issues that the boys think schoolboy rugby is facing is the pigeonholing of these First XV players.
“You played everything,” Scotty said to Izzy.
“Those skills that you develop by actually having a broad scope at a young age.
“We’ve got Sport NZ who deal with schools and tell them constantly all the time that balance is better.
“First XV programmes in some of our bigger schools have got so over professionalised that kids are told you can’t do something else.”
Much to Izzy’s disgust.
“That irritates the hell out of me,” Izzy said.
“I think of my cricketing background and I think what did Cricket do for me? It gave me hand-eye coordination that was unmatched.
“Playing summer sport and then going into winter, during a little off season I’d play a bit of basketball, I’ll go borrow a racket and play some tennis outside.
“I was doing everything. It absolutely irritates me that these kids are playing rugby all year round, or putting all their eggs in one basket.
“The reality of it is not everyone’s going to crack it, there’s only ever been 1200 All Blacks over 120 odd years, so very minimal margins of people making it.”
For someone that has been successful in the sport, Izzy wants schoolboy rugby to stay as the name suggests, schoolboy.
“My dreams were wide open, I was dreaming everything.
“I just want kids to be kids at school. I just want them to play, I want them to have a crack at anything.
“Honestly, if you are good enough, you will succeed. You will get to that end goal that you aspire to try and get to.”
Listen to the full deep dive here:
