Highlanders planning for brighter future

The Highlanders were so determined for lock Fabian Holland to sample a balanced life that they actually nudged the diligent 2.04m teenager to get himself amongst the shenanigans in Castle St, the epicentre of rowdy Dunedin student life.

‘‘We encouraged him to go down during O-Week last year,’’ Highlanders talent development manager Kane Jury tells Stuff with a smile. ‘‘And there was a bottle that just went past his head. It was crazy.’’

It’s a light-hearted anecdote, but there is no doubt that there is serious work being put into a relatively new Highlanders high-performance programme that has already delivered Super Rugby debuts for Holland, big prop Saula Ma’u and standout young flanker Sean Withy this year – rays of sunshine in a tough year.

Jury reveals that Holland turned down both the Crusaders and the Chiefs to join the Highlanders, and the programme is now growing, with the southerners loading up on young halfbacks and playmakers as part of their targeted plans to fill the gaps they see coming in their roster.

Halfbacks Nathan Hastie and Noah Hotham are in, as are No 10s Cam Millar, Ajay Faleafaga and Finn Hurley, while hooker Jack Taylor, No 8 Will Stodart and tall winger Jeremiah Asi round out a group that is expected to start pushing for full Highlanders contracts by 2024.

It’s a relatively small number compared to the Crusaders’ full 28-man academy, but the Highlanders are quietly confident of a high success rate due to the amount of homework they put in before committing to an individual – right down to religious requirements.

‘‘We’re really looking at the person,’’ Jury says. ‘‘How do people talk about them? How does their teacher, their principal, talk about them?’’

The programme, with significant support from construction company John Jones Steel, only started in 2020. Its vision was clear – to first secure talent within the Highlanders region, and then look elsewhere if necessary.

The former can’t be taken for granted in a highly competitive market.

Stodart, a Southlander, had been lured to St Andrew’s College in Christchurch, but Jury kept in touch and brought him ‘home’ when the opportunity arose.

That speaks to Jury’s huge importance to the programme. He has deep ties to the region and a background in teaching – as well as what he refers to as ‘‘networks’’ that clearly stretch a long way from Dunedin.

Jury has to be a diplomat too. He admits to some ‘‘tough’’ conversations with Otago and Southland, who have their own academies and own opinions about who should be playing Super Rugby. An honest approach smoothes over the friction.

‘‘One thing I’m big on is around our communication, and the consistency of that as well,’’ Jury says.

‘‘You’re always going to be challenged in this space, and it’s important to make sure we keep everybody updated, and everybody aligned.’’

Withy, Holland and Ma’u stand out for another reason. The trio had barely played any NPC rugby before making the Super Rugby debuts. Playing Devil’s advocate, Stuff suggests this could be used as proof that Super Rugby clubs could feel confident about developing players with limited exposure to provincial rugby.

But Jury won’t have a bar of it. In fact, if he had his way talented young players would be sent to the school of hard knocks that is Heartland Rugby.

‘‘Look, I think NPC rugby is really, really important,’’ he says. ‘‘Because that’s the confirmation of their talent.

‘‘It’s so important. We put all our young talented guys out there. Let’s put some more young guys into Heartland Rugby, because the weekin, week-out of that is unreal as well.

‘‘That’s the preparation they need to be battle-hardened for Super Rugby.

‘‘It’s all there. It’s a great, great base for these guys to be confirmed as a Super Rugby talent.’’