Sevens rookie eyes Makos contract
‘‘It's crazy to think in January I was just working and now I'm just training fulltime.’’
Andrew Knewstubb didn’t mind his last job, which involved property maintenance and landscaping.
But it sure doesn’t beat being a fulltime rugby player at 21.
After his debut season playing for New Zealand in the HSBC Sevens World Series, the Horowhenua-Kapiti and Paraparaumu College product has returned to club rugby duty with Kahurangi, in the Tasman club competition. ‘‘It’s crazy to think in January I was just working and now I’m just training fulltime,’’ Knewstubb said, looking back on a whirlwind six months.
‘‘I do live on a bit of a lifestyle block so there’s always a bit of farm work to do so I keep myself fairly busy.’’
The young first five-eighth/ fullback played against Wanderers recently and said it has been a tougher than expected adjustment back to 15s, where the game is significantly more structured in comparison.
‘‘It’s way different. It’s definitely a completely different game,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s really structured in 15s and although it was in sevens, you have to know what is going to happen in the next two plays, where in sevens you don’t know what is going to happen.’’
After earning a shock call-up ahead of the Wellington leg, Knewstubb ended up making his international debut in Sydney and went on to feature for New Zealand again in Las Vegas, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore and London.
Although New Zealand did not make a single final during the 2016/17 season and ended up in fourth place, the results didn’t spoil the experience for Knewstubb, whose previous highlights had included representing Tasman at sevens and at under-19 level.
‘‘I loved being part of it. It was unfortunate we couldn’t get more wins but there’s definitely some positives because there were some games on day one where we were unstoppable.
‘‘If I could go the next year and the year after that I’d be over the moon. There’s Commonwealth Games and the World Cup next year so I’d love to be part of that,’’ he said.
Despite signing a fulltime sevens contract Knewstubb is allowed to play 15s during the Mitre 10 Cup. He said cracking the Tasman Makos squad remains his goal, hence an earlier than expected return to club rugby.
‘‘We are supposed to be on a break at the moment but I just want to get into the 15s and just have a go with the Makos if they need me or if I get the oppor- tunity,’’ he said.
Knewstubb said he had struggled getting back into it against Wanderers ‘‘so hopefully it comes back quick because I know some of the other backs have been playing some good footy through the year.’’