'It means a lot': Prop selected in NZ Secondary Schools team
Five Southlanders have been selected in the three New Zealand schools and under-18 teams that will be play international fixtures in Hamilton next month.
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THE SOUTHLAND SELECTIONS
Thomas Jennings (prop) has been selected in New Zealand Secondary Schools team.
Presley McHugh (prop), Mika Muliaina (first five-eighth), and Gregor Rutledge (looseforward) have all been named in New Zealand Barbarians U18 team.
Jayden Broome (looseforward) has been selected in New Zealand Māori U18 team.
Thomas Jennings is still coming to terms with his national call up.
The 18-year-old tighthead prop has been selected in the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby squad to play games against Samoa, NZ Māori, and Australia in Hamilton next month.
It comes on the back of an outstanding 2024 season with the Southland Boys’ High School first XV.
In the lead up to his selection first XV coach Jason Dermody publicly stated there would be something wrong with the process if Jennings wasn’t named.
The phone call on Tuesday still come as a surprise though.
“There was always hope but never any guarantees… I was actually at rugby training when I got the call and had to call him back.
“It’s quite special really. I don’t know if it’s fully set in for me, obviously I wasn’t fully expecting it. It definitely means a lot.”
Jennings is the only player named in the national schools team from the Highlanders region.
Like most New Zealand players Jennings’ rugby journey started as a five-year-old in the Rippa ranks. He did break up his junior rugby days with a year playing football.
Up until Year 11, when he was named in the Southland Boys’ High School first XV, he had played No 8.
Three years on and Jennings is now about to wear a black jersey playing at prop.
The positional switch followed a bit of encouragement from SBHS first XV coaches, as well as his father Chris, who himself played prop in the school’s first XV under the same coach, Peter Skelt, some 30 years ago.
“My body size fits prop better than No 8. In under-15s I was told I might have to move into prop and then Year 11 was when I made the move,” Jennings said.
It’s a big couple of years for Jennings considering last year, as a Year 12 pupil, he was part of Southland Boys’ first national title schools rugby title.
As a result, earlier this year Southland Boys’ earlier got the opportunity to head to the SANIX World Youth Invitational Tournament.
Jennings thanked those that have helped him reach national honours which on a rugby front includes his coaches at Southland Boys’ - Jason Dermody, Peter Skelt, and Chris McIlwrick - along with Daryl Thompson who has overseen the scrum during Jennings’ time in the first XV.
He also pointed to the guidance of Rugby Southland academy manager Scott Eade, and away from rugby the help he has had from his parents.
Jennings plans to stay in Southland next year after leaving school. He will work on the family farm and give rugby a good crack.
He hasn’t yet firmed up exactly which club he will join for the 2025 season.
First, he’s got a campaign with the New Zealand Schools team to sort in the coming weeks.
Jennings’ Southland Boys’ High School propping partner Presley McHugh has been named in the New Zealand Barbarians Under-18 team. It’s a notable selection considering McHugh is Year 12 at Southland Boys’ and still has another year at school.
Talented Southland Boys’ first five-eighth Mika Muliaina has also been selected in the Barbarians Under-18, as has 2023 SBHS first XV captain Gregor Rutledge.
While Rutledge is in his first year out of school, he was a young Year 13 pupil last year which sparked his selection in the Barbarians team last year.
New Zealand Under-18 Barbarians will also play Australia and NZ Schools.
On top of that loose forward Jayden Broome from Māruawai College (formerly Gore High School) has been named in the New Zealand Māori Under-18 team.
The five Southlanders selection is another win for Southland’s academy system.
THE TEAMS
