Switch from rugby to wrestling pays off

When the Marshall brothers arrived in New Zealand from South Africa as youngsters, they did the same thing as many Kiwi kids and played rugby.

But one night at training six years ago, Jordan Marshall’s coach had a suggestion.

‘‘He told me, ‘this is wrestling, come down, if you enjoy it, you enjoy it - you don’t have to come back if you don’t enjoy it’, and ever since that night, I’ve come back, so it’s been good.’’

So good, in fact, that he and his brother, Ryan Marshall, now focus solely on wrestling, and are picking up some excellent results.

At the Oceania championships in Tahiti earlier this year, they each won gold in their respective weight classes, and are now setting their sights higher.

Ryan, 16, is still at high school, and he is aiming for next year’s Youth Olympics, which are being held in Argentina, while Jordan, 19, has his sights set on the Commonwealth Games, which will take place on the Gold Coast next April, then the Olympics in Tokyo two years later.

For Jordan, the honour of representing his country is one of the best things wrestling has given him.

‘‘You get to see the world,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve been to quite a few places in the last few years, and it’s a real great experience.’’

And as Ryan puts it: ‘‘It’s amazing to be able to go over to a different place and just experience a different culture, because you’re not wrestling all the time, so you get to experience the culture that’s around, and you get to meet people’’.

Ryan’s favourite thing about wrestling is the accountability.

‘‘You’re the only one you can blame if you lose,’’ he says.

‘‘So you can’t shift the blame onto anyone else, like you might in a team sport like rugby. I’m not saying rugby’s a bad sport, I’m just saying that with wrestling, you’re the only reason why you win or don’t win.’’

Freestyle wrestling is a one-onone contest, and Jordan says it can feel a bit lonely on the mat at times.

‘‘You might feel intimated, he might be a big guy, and you feel pretty scared, but once that whistle goes, that all goes out the window, your head just clicks on and you’re ready to go.’’

Both boys are fundraising on Givealittle to help with the costs of attending global events. Visit: www.givealittle.co.nz and search for Hazel Marshall.