HB grows a Brave Blossom
Plenty of New Zealanders have moved to Japan and played rugby union, but surely none have had the type of impact that Warner Dearns has had.
On November 13, the 19-year-old made his senior international debut for the Japanese national team, against Portugal.
Dearns was in Year 10 at Napier Boys’ High School at the start of 2016 when his father Grant left his role as the Hawke’s Bay Magpies’ strength and conditioning coach, which he’d held for 12 years, to take up a role in Japan with the NEC Green Rockets rugby club.
His mother, former Silver Fern Tanya Dearns, was coaching the Central Pulse so Warner moved down to Wellington to live with her and spent six months at Scots College, before they followed Grant to Japan.
“Initially it was home school to finish the year and once 2016 finished we enrolled in an international school for 2017 and, from 2018, I enrolled in a Japanese school.
“I started playing rugby when I was four and I started picking up basketball a bit too. When we moved to Japan we couldn’t find any basketball clubs but there was a rugby club quite close to where we were living which was quite good, so while I was at the international school I was playing for the local club.”
As he approached the end of his schooldays, decision time loomed large for Dearns. Concentrate on further education or see what he could achieve in the sport of rugby.
‘I had a couple of universities who wanted to get me there, but I didn’t really feel like going to university and I think it would have been a detriment to my (rugby) development.
“My Dad was talking to (former Japanese captain) Michael Leitch’s agent to see if there were any option we could look at and we were told that Toshiba Brave Lupus were looking to get a young lock in for the next couple of seasons to develop as a prospect, so they started talking and we met with (former All Black and Crusaders) head coach Todd Blackadder and talked about the possibility of me coming to Toshiba. The initial contract (I signed) is two years, but if I get out on the field and play good rugby, I’m looking to extend it for a wee while.”
Dearns, an imposing 2.02m and 112kg, is playing alongside former All Blacks Matt Todd, Tom Taylor and Seta Tamanivalu at Toshiba Brave Lupus, as well as Leitch.
“I think, obviously it’s a pretty big market over here now because of the World Cup (in 2019). The rugby’s improving in quality so the guys that are younger come over here and see opportunities to get good minutes in a top professional environment.”
Learning your trade in that professional environment is one thing, but getting fast-tracked into the international set-up is something else.
“The initial call up into the squad to do the training camp was a bit of a surprise, but (Japanese head coach) Jamie Joseph had spoken to me and said they wanted me there for development and to experience what the team environment is like.
“So I did the two weeks at the camp and came back to my club Toshiba Brave Lupus and played two pre-season games before a week off. Halfway through that week I got a call saying I was needed (for the Japanese tour) in Europe.
“It was quite a tough training camp. Obviously they liked enough of what they saw to bring me in when there was a couple of injuries.
“It’s quite cool having them (Joseph and assistant coach Tony Brown) as coaches. Todd’s a pretty special coach as well. It’s quite cool having the New Zealand coaches over here.”
Although he’s in the early stages of his career, Dearns has ambitions to reach the very top.
“I think it’s possible to be the best lock in the world playing in Japan. Obviously it’s a different style of rugby to most countries and it’s still not the biggest competition over here but it’s growing. From next year it’s supposed to be a fully professional league.
“Medium to long-term I wouldn’t mind going back (home) and playing a bit of Super Rugby and give that a go. Europe could be an option as well, but for the short term I think really establishing myself as the lock here in Japan, as the guy who needs to play for the Brave Blossoms and the guy that they need to keep picking, I think that’s the first goal.
“Obviously having gone on tour I’ve put my foot forward and taken a first step in that direction and I think this coming season will be interesting. If I play well I’ll get another shot hopefully and be able to prove that I could be the best guy, the best player.”
Being halfway through a Rugby World Cup cycle means there is just under two years until the next tournament. It’s a realistic ambition for Dearns.
“Up until two months ago I would have thought the Rugby World Cup (in 2023) was a bit of a long shot but having that call up and having talked with Jamie and Tony and all the coaches, they said they definitely want a guy like me playing.”