Warriors stalwart back with Kelston Boys
A key member of the New Zealand Warriors’ 1995 inaugural side is returning to the school where it all started.
Duane Mann grew up on Cobham Cres, just two minutes walk from the Kelston Boys High School fields and the place he called his second home. Now, the former kiwi international has returned to take on a sports management and business development role at his former school.
For the past three seasons, Mann has been a junior development and pathways manager for the Warriors. His father and brother were also involved with the club for a number of years. He left the Warriors on September 16 to begin his new role at Kelston.
Mann says the opportunity at the school will allow him to use the business skills he has built in other industry training organisations and sports trusts over the years.
‘‘Kelston has a good reputation when it comes to boys’ mainstream sports including softball, cricket, football, basketball, rugby union and rugby league,’’ Mann says.
‘‘I will be working with my networks in all of those sports for the benefit of the boys.’’
For Mann, the decision to leave the Warriors was about developing himself as much as the youth.
‘‘The cool thing for me about this role is the opportunities to use my business development skills to connect with some of the alumni while helping out the boys at Kelston in various coaching capacities,’’ he says.
‘‘It will be a different sort of challenge but one I’m really looking forward to. Just to be involved with rugby league as a full time job, I have been very lucky.’’
Principal Brian Evans says with professional careers available in many sports these days it is important students are given the knowledge to become a professional player.
‘‘I know a lot of the senior management already as I have kept in touch with the school,’’ Mann says.
‘‘Many of my mates now are the guys I went to school with too and I plan to connect with a lot of other alumni and seek their support for the school.’’
Mann played along side the likes of current Auckland Blues doctor, Steve Kara when he was a member of the school’s first XV. He also won three successive Fox Memorial Championships with the Glenora Bears in the late 1990’s.