Fathers among All Blacks strive

The reality of professional sport means our rugby representatives sacrifice spending valuable time with their families, reports Liam Napier in Buenos Aires.

DANE Coles’ son Jax turned two on Monday. Instead of taking his boy to a park in Lyall Bay, Wellington, he was on the other side of the world in Argentina, preparing for a test match.

That’s just the reality of being a professional rugby player; an All Black. Coles is far from alone in that respect. More than half the All Blacks touring squad are fathers.

Missing special occasions is part of being away from home for up to 160 nights each year.

‘‘I haven’t been home for his birthday yet so it’s pretty hard, especially at that age because they’re growing up so quick,’’ Coles said. ‘‘We’re pretty lucky these days with FaceTime and Skype. My wife does an incredible job. It’s tough but the reason I play footy is for my family and to support them.’’

Travelling to exotic foreign destinations, playing in front of sellout crowds, being put on a pedestal and admired by adoring fans.

It seems a dream lifestyle. But there’s more to life than rugby. Fatherhood evokes immense pride, too.

‘‘Everyone probably just sees us as rugby players but being a father is a big responsibility,’’ Coles said. ‘‘Being a rugby player everyone wants a bit of your time and sometimes you just want to be a dad but that’s just part of the gig. When I’m home I try to use all my spare time with my son so he doesn’t forget my face when I go away.’’

Coaches, players, management crew, they all make the same sacrifices while on tour. A difficult balancing act comes with generating peak on-field performance every week, and attempting to sustain relationships with such distance creating a potential divide.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who is away about 200 nights each year, appreciates that more than most.

‘‘The public see the glamour side and that’s understandable. A lot is made of them but there’s a lot of hard work goes in behind who we are, what we are, and how we perform. We’re like everyone