Hunter Fahey: The promising prop who's carved his own rugby path
“There are probably a lot of boys out there that don’t go to the big schools who probably think they have to, it’s good to show that you don’t always have to if you work hard enough.”
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Hunter Fahey’s story is one that needs to be told. For rugby’s sake and for those who feel the pathway in the sport is now a ridged one.
In a rugby environment where more and more players emerge through a select number of traditional rugby schools Fahey has bucked the trend.
He played all his school rugby at Verdon College in Invercargill and never had any intention of shifting.
In Year 11 he missed out on the Southland Under-16 A team, and despite showing some promise in Year 12 and Year 13 wasn’t on the radar in terms of Highlanders under-18 camps.
But then came 2022, his first year attending university in Dunedin.
Fahey and his family are entrenched in the Marist Rugby Club in Invercargill and with the Dunedin Rugby Club Marist-affiliated he ended up at Shark Park.
Things started to happen.
He was a key figure in helping the club’s premier colts team go unbeaten to win its competition. By the end of the season, the teenage prop had been called in to make his premier club debut in Dunedin’s semifinal fixture.
Then came Otago under-19 selection and now Fahey is just days away from starting at loosehead prop for the Highlanders under-20 team at the national tournament in Taupo.
Just a couple of weeks ago he was asked to undergo some strength testing by New Zealand under-20s officials.
“The last year or two I’ve had quite a few opportunities come to me; it’s been good. I really enjoyed last year…. I’m quite proud of my journey.”
And so he should be.
“There are probably a lot of boys out there that don’t go to the big schools who probably think they have to, it’s good to show that you don’t always have to if you work hard enough.”
Here is the good news Southland rugby fans.
Fahey has committed to his home province in 2023, despite last year playing for the Otago under-19 team and also still being in Dunedin studying this year.
He has signed a development contract with Rugby Southland and is part of the academy programme under the guidance of Scott Eade.
Fahey and the other Southlanders in the same setup are provided a training programme and free access to a gym in Dunedin and Eade visits each month to meet with them.
“[Scott’s] doing a good job allowing us not to be in the region but to still be connected. Because obviously a lot of the boys leave the region and don’t come back, so it’s good to stay connected.”
Given he comes from a proud Southland family it does make sense.
“It definitely was an odd feeling putting on the golden O last year and playing against [Southland] and a lot of my mates. I did enjoy my time with Otago being exposed to new coaches but it is good to be back linked with Southland.”
As part of the development contract, Fahey will play for the Southland Under-19 team later in the year and will also spend some time training with the Stags.
Fahey actually played the majority of his school rugby as a hooker before having a stint at tighthead prop when he arrived at Dunedin last year. But now both the Highlanders under-20 and Southland decision-makers view him as a loosehead prop.
And he’s just fine with that switch from hooker to the No 1 jersey.
“I’m quite tall, I’m about 6 foot three so I do see my future as loosehead prop, and I’m enjoying the process of learning. The scrum and the lineout are really the big change.”
Naturally, there is a fair bit of excitement for Fahey heading into the national under-20 tournament, which for the Highlanders starts with a showdown against the Chiefs at 4.35pm.
“If you had asked me two years ago if I thought I’d have this opportunity I would have said no. Even at the start of last year, it was always something I dreamed of but wasn’t something I thought I could get to. Not being from a bigger school.
“I’m just excited to be in the setup and to have the opportunity to get a bit more exposure with the games being on TV. The school I went to never had any televised games and they barely got recorded, so just excited really.”
With hooker Jack Taylor and tighthead prop Liam McIntosh also selected in the Highlanders under-20 squad there is the prospect of an all-Southland frontrow at some stage during the U20s tournament.
“There is the possibility of me Jack and Liam all playing at once which would be pretty cool thing to be part of.”
Lock Hunter Areaiiti-Burgess and midfielder Caleb Williams are the other players aligned to Southland who have all been named in the Highlanders team for the trip to Taupo.
Eade was thrilled to have the young talent recognized and said it was a sign that things are on the up in the pathways space.
“We are incredibly proud of Tupou, Hunter, Hunter, Jack, Liam, and Caleb for their selection in the New Zealand U20s tournament," Eade said.
“It is a great achievement for them individually, but also for our academy, their families who have been extremely supportive of their rugby ambitions and for rugby in Southland.”
Other Southlanders who are now connected to Otago - Finn Hurley, Will Stodart and Aaron Withy - are also part of the squad.
Tupou Kaufononga of the Blues Rugby Club in Invercargill has been named in the New Zealand U20 Barbarians team.
Selectors in name only in school rugby.but when the young guys grow into their bodies it a different story.spectators can't be fooled .Ethan Degoot is a great example.good luck Hunter.i hope you have as much fun at the marist club as I have had for 70 years and more.