Aussie star ditched sport for hip-hop – now he’s playing for us
Footballer-turned-rapper Joe Champness named in New Zealand’s men’s football squad for the Olympics after helping Australia qualify.
Two years ago, after playing in an A-League final, Joe Champness gave up football to pursue a hiphop career – but now he is back in the game and set to represent New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics.
The footballer-turned-rapper was named in the 18-man OlyWhites squad and is committed to a future with New Zealand Football after turning his back on Australia.
Champness was born in Auckland, but moved to Brisbane aged five and despite representing Australia at age-group level still considered New Zealand ‘‘home’’.
He has family in West Auckland and has been staying with them while helping New Zealand’s under-24 men’s team prepare for the Olympics, where the objective will be to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
‘‘It’s definitely a big decision but New Zealand is home for me,’’ Champness said.
‘‘I’m extremely proud that I was able to able to represent Australia and I have a lot of love for Australia — I’m very thankful for those opportunities but when the boss reached out to me, since I was little it’s been something that has been in my head as well — that New Zealand might come calling.’’
Champness burst onto the scene with Newcastle Jets as a teenager, scoring on his debut shortly after being subbed on against Central Coast Mariners. He played in the 2018 final, but the winger shocked the sport by walking away to pursue his second passion — music.
Champness, who performs under the stage name JOWIC (pronounced Joey C), had been writing music since he was at primary school, and decided to move to Los Angeles to see where his hip-hop talents could take him.
He signed a distribution deal with Creative Music Group and released a series of singles, including his most popular hit, My Plan.
The music video, which he shot while in LA, has been viewed more than 1.4 million times on YouTube while the song has been streamed more than 1.6 million times on Spotify.
‘‘I went over there to really learn and record and do all the things that I love to do. A lot of great things came from it and whether people will know about it or not, time will tell,’’ he said.
‘‘It was a great experience for me and something that I’m very proud that I did.
‘‘The industries share a lot of the same values, you know, they’re both very competitive and I love competition.
‘‘When I’m playing football it’s always about improving and winning. With the national team as much as I’m looking forward to the Olympics, I’m fully focusing on bringing the best that I can bring to the national team and trying to help the team as much as I can.
‘‘Off the pitch players do different things, some people golf, some people surf and I just happen to do music.’’
Champness was right in the mix for Australia’s Olympic team and actually featured for the Olyroos in the first phase of qualifying, before he hit pause on his sporting career.
But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Champness decided it was best to flee the US and get back into football.
He linked up with his former youth coach Warren Moon at Brisbane Roar and said the transition was relatively seamless.
‘‘When I went to the States, football was still a big part of my life and I was maintaining my fitness, and being ready for the opportunity when I came back to play professional football.
‘‘It was seamless for me. Football, obviously I love it. Getting back to work took a little bit to get that match sharpness, but once pre-season was over I felt I was ready to kick on and fire.’’
Champness’s hopes of representing Australia in Tokyo took a hit after his hiatus but after a strong season with the Roar, helping the team qualify for the finals’ series, he received a phone call out of the blue from OlyWhites coach Danny Hay, asking if he would be interested in playing for New Zealand instead.
Champness said he jumped at the chance to play for his country of birth on the Olympic stage.
‘‘I was just playing in the A-League season and was really happy when New Zealand expressed interest in getting me involved in the setup over here. It was obviously an opportunity that I didn’t want to turn down and it was a clear decision for me.
‘‘New Zealand is my home, I was born here, I have family here and I love New Zealand.’’
Olyroos coach Graham Arnold was not pleased with Champness’s choice, and said it was ‘‘disappointing’’ that he changed nationality after taking a year off to follow his hip-hop dreams.
‘‘Disappointing because he was in Cambodia with us in the first phase of qualifiers and he was proud to be Australian and wanted to play for Australia and wanted to go to the Olympics for Australia,’’ Arnold said.
‘‘He decided obviously to go to LA and start doing a career of rapping and then he’s come back and gone to play for New Zealand.
‘‘At the end of the day, it’s a decision that’s down to the individual. I would never really threaten or push anyone to play for Australia. It’s what’s in your heart, and what’s in their blood.’’
But Australia’s loss is New
‘‘When I went to the States, football was still a big part of my life and I was maintaining my fitness, and being ready for the opportunity when I came back to play professional football.’’ Joe Champness
Zealand’s gain and Hay was delighted to have Champness on board.
‘‘I’m pleased that we’ve managed to get Joey over the line, not just for the Olympics but he’s a born and bred Kiwi, he’s lived a long time in Aussie and played for the Aussie under-23s but to get him over the line is exciting,’’ Hay said.
‘‘He brings something a little different that we don’t have. He’s a dribbler and he’s quite an unpredictable type of player.’’
Champness was coy when asked if he planned to hang his boots up and chase his music ambitions again, but he said football was his focus for now and he was looking forward to rubbing shoulders with Premier League stars Chris Wood and Winston Reid.
‘‘With individuals like that playing in your time with such experience and such class, that’s a really big thing for any player, especially for the young players and I’d be in that bracket as well.
‘‘Learning from players of that calibre who have done it all before, that’s huge and obviously going to the Olympics and representing your country is an honour ... I’m obviously very proud.’’