Kempton: I want to pull the Stags jersey on for Dad
“They say don’t do everything for one thing, but I definitely want to do everything for Dad."
Shaun Kempton was a sought-after young lad towards the end of his school days in Christchurch in 2023.
He had made the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team, and the Crusaders came calling with a spot in their academy for him.
In fact, the Blues and Highlanders were also keen to lure him their way.
The Crusaders seemed like the natural fit, given that’s the region he grew up in. But Kempton’s mind was drifting further south.
He was keen to honour his late father Dave who was tragically killed in April 2023 in a workplace accident in Christchurch.
While he lived in Christchurch, Dave was a Southlander, and also a Stags fan.
It was a motivating factor for Kempton to continue his rugby journey with Southland following a chat with Rugby Southland Pathways Manager Scott Eade.
“Coming down for Dad has made it that bit extra special.”
“They say don’t do everything for one thing, but I definitely want to do everything for Dad,” Kempton told The Tribune.
“He was a big rugby man, and a big Stags fan, so hopefully I get to pull on the Stags jersey for him. I’m just trying to go to the next level for him.”
Naturally the sudden death of a parent was a lot for a teenager in his final year at school to deal with emotionally.
However, Kempton that year still managed to emerge as one of New Zealand rugby’s bright young talents by making the national school team.
“I just dealt with it by training. Training was the thing to relieve all the things building up in my head about that stuff.
“So just going and training and putting on performances in that last year of high school was pretty cool,” Kempton said.
On top of signing with Rugby Southland, Kempton has aligned with the Highlanders. He is on a National Development contract and spent the entire preseason training with the Highlanders before the start of the 2025 Super season.
“It was outstanding. A whole lot of learnings; Jamie Joseph and all of the coaching staff were outstanding.
“It was some of the best coaching I’ve ever had, and all the boys were really welcoming. It didn’t matter if I was a young fella, I was still one of them.
“It was tough mentality, obviously being a tough preseason, but it was a real good experience.”
Despite still being a young pup in the frontrow, the 19-year-old was handed a start and played 60 minutes for the Highlanders Bravehearts team in their game against Crusaders Development in Timaru last Friday.
Kempton scored a try in the 48-19 victory and was pleased with how he performed in his first game since playing for Southland U19 at the end of the 2024 rep season.
He has now turned his focus to the Highlanders U20 campaign which starts this Saturday in Dunedin against an Otago XV.
The Super Rugby U20 tournament will be played in Taupo from March 15 to 22.
Kempton hopes to put his best foot forward for a potential shot at the New Zealand U20s squad which would unlock a massive year for the promising hooker, on various fronts.
New Zealand U20s head to South Africa for a Rugby Championship tournament before then attending the World Junior Rugby Championship in Italy.
As part of Kempton’s contract with Rugby Southland, New Zealand U20s selection would also automatically trigger an upgrade to a full contract with the Stags for the 2025 NPC season.
“I would love to play NPC rugby this year. I feel like it would take my game to that next level,” he said.
If Kempton was to miss New Zealand U20s selection his route to the Stags would be by pushing for a spot via club rugby at Pirates-Old Boys in Southland.
A year and a bit into his Southland stint Kempton has no regrets.
“Looking back on it now, I think it’s the best decision I’ve made… I think moving down here was the best thing for me at that time.”
Kempton is somewhat bucking the trend in comparison to the bulk of modern-day hookers.
He’s relatively slight in size compared to many other hookers, although Kempton is dynamic with ball in hand with his strength being his speed off the mark and elusiveness.
“I think that is probably one of my points of difference,” he said.
A key focus of Kempton’s at the moment is working on his physicality to go with those other strengths of his game.
He said he has had some good feedback from the Highlanders around his game.
“We talked about going into the U20s campaign, they said they wanted to see me really try to dominate in collisions and just owning the lineout and taking care of the scrum [job].”
2025 looms as a massive year for Kempton and no doubt there will be someone pretty special to him watching on with pride with what has already been achieved, as well as what could potentially be ahead.
So awesome to read this Shaun. Ya father was a great great man, taught me so much over years in industry when worked with my father Noel way back in the Tullochs days. So proud of you mate and be sure I and I'm sure many others will travel to that first game you play for the stags and we will look up knowing that great man Dave be looking down.
Top work Shaun