Fans flock for glimpse of All Black
Damian McKenzie finally gets to represent Woodlands, the club his family have been heavily involved in. Logan Savory reports.
All Black star Damian McKenzie scored a try, kicked five conversions and got through 80 minutes in providing Southland club rugby followers a thrill in his New Zealand return.
McKenzie is back from a stint playing in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath in the top Japan competition.
He has re-signed with Waikato, the Chiefs, and New Zealand Rugby as he looks for a return to the All Blacks setup.
First stop, though, was on the outskirts of Invercargill on Friday night when he started at fullback for Woodlands against Star in the premier competition.
A larger than normal club crowd graced the Les George Oval and opponents Star certainly didn’t hold back on the 40-test All Black.
But McKenzie and his team prevailed, running out 55-17 victors with McKenzie contributing 15 points.
Woodlands coach Richard Jones said it was a special occasion having someone of the calibre of McKenzie ask to play for the club.
Even those in the opposition team were excited to get the chance to play against a star of New Zealand rugby.
‘‘It was a good buzz for both teams ... Star was pretty fizzed up, and they were putting in some big shots. No one was going easy on Damian,’’ Jones said.
The Woodlands coach added that after a discussion with McKenzie at halftime, it was decided to leave him out there for the full game, given the number of spectators.
‘‘There was no point pulling him off at halftime, it was pretty cool for club rugby, we need that. Kids were getting photos with him after the game.’’
McKenzie’s older brother Marty captains the Woodlands team from first five-eighth and is also the usual goal-kicker.
However, knowing many of the kids in attendance would have been eager to see his younger brother kick, he handed over the duties.
Woodlands needed two competition points to get through to Saturday’s final against PiratesOld Boys, and some had viewed McKenzie’s inclusion as ‘‘stacking’’ the team to make sure of it.
Jones said that was far from the case.
McKenzie had never played for the 125-year-old Woodlands club, which his family have been such a big part of for so many years.
He simply wanted the chance to represent the club, and to do it alongside his brother.
The last time the pair played together was at Super Rugby level with the Chiefs.
There had been hope of McKenzie playing for Woodlands a ‘‘week or two ago’’, but the required clearances needed to be sorted.
It just so happened that was done before Friday’s crunch game. McKenzie latched on to what might well be the only opportunity to play for the club that his father, uncles, grandparents, brother, cousins have been so heavily involved in.
‘‘They [Damian and Marty] use to run around at Woodlands when they were young fellas when their Dad was coaching, so it was pretty cool [to have them at Woodlands playing together],’’ Jones said.