Bright future for Iose at Canes
Brayden Iose has barely finished high school, but that has not stopped the Hurricanes from snapping up the highly promising No 8.
The Palmerston North Boys’ High School 1st XV captain has been training with the Super Rugby franchise as an injury replacement since early December. He has been signed until the end of January.
It is a rapid rise for the 18-yearold who captained the New Zealand Secondary Schools team in October.
Iose has been marked for stardom for years and his dominant performances from the back of the scrum for Boys’ High this year only further confirmed his exciting potential.
His ability to break the line through a mixture of pace, strength and impressive balance made him a tough prospect to defend against. He is also a reliable tackler and one of the better lineout takers at schoolboy level.
Earlier in December, Iose was one of just a handful of schoolleavers included in the New Zealand Under 20s training camp.
While it would be easy to get carried away with the attention his exploits have received, that is no issue for the level-headed Iose his temperament is just another box that he ticks.
Reflecting on his involvement with the Hurricanes, he said he was just trying to learn as much as possible.
‘‘It is obviously a big step up, but I am really excited to move up and try and develop more,’’ he said.
‘‘It is good to get some quality coaching off guys like Plum [John Plumtree] and Jason Holland. The guys there are just helping me out with my game and it is awesome top be involved in such a professional environment.’’
While there are plenty of stars in the Hurricanes’ set-up, he was enjoying being able to witness the work ethic of players such as Brad Shields and Callum Gibbins firsthand.
And he is set to have plenty to do with the likes of Gibbins.
Iose has signed to play provincially for the Manawatu Turbos in 2017.
He said he was proud to able to stick within the region he grew up in.
‘‘I am really excited to get the opportunity to stay in the Manawatu and learn off guys like Callum Gibbins,’’ he said.
While he is capable at slotting in on both flanks of the scrum, he prefers the extra space he gets playing at No 8.
He has yet to set his goals for 2017, but said he just wanted to finish the year as a better player than what he is now.
‘‘I just want to keep developing my skills and pick the brains of the coaches and players around me and just try and be a better rugby player altogether, not just one certain area,’’ he said.
Looking back on 2016, it was playing for his school rather any of his national accolades that stood out for him.
‘‘My highlight of this year was just being captain of the Boys’ High 1st XV,’’ he said. ‘‘That is where it all began in terms of rugby and I was just really grateful for the opportunity to lead my school.’’
It may be early in his playing career, but all signs point towards a big future for Iose.