Rugby Southland signs New Zealand secondary schools midfielder
“We are grateful they have given us the opportunity to take their game to the next level, so we’ve just got to deliver on that.”
Rugby Southland has landed a significant recruitment victory by signing a New Zealand Schools representative out of Palmerston North Boys’ High School.
Tayne Harvey - who this year played for the New Zealand Schools team against Australia - has opted to throw his lot in with Southland as far as the NPC goes.
He is predominately a second five-eighth who can also play at centre.
The Highlanders signed Harvey on a development contract before he then decided to align with Southland with the prospect of playing for the Stags in the NPC.
On top of that Rugby Southland has also signed another Highlanders development player in wing Josh Augustine who is in his final year with Napier Boys’ High School.
Augustine, a rangy winger, played for the New Zealand Barbarians U18 team against New Zealand Secondary Schools this year and attracted the interest of the Highlanders.
It’s a big win for Rugby Southland’s academy and pathways manager Scott Eade who has worked hard to convince the youngsters to link with Southland.
Talks started in May through a video meeting with Harvey and his father.
Harvey and his dad then visited Invercargill in August where Eade continued to pitch to them why Southland would be a good option.
“There was obviously plenty of interest, so it’s a pretty big decision for these young lads. It’s pretty aggressive with all of these teams trying to fight for players.
“So, for him to commit to Southland is massive,” Eade said.
Eade said Harvey was the first player to join the Highlanders on one of the development contracts from outside the region and then choose Southland ahead of Otago for their provincial rugby.
“He is the first so that’s massively exciting. Deep down you are hopeful [of signing them] but you never know based on history, and I guess how the Stags have been going results-wise.”
Harvey is managed by former Super Rugby player Joe Wheeler and Eade admits when they got word from Wheeler that Harvey had decided on Southland it felt like a big win.
“It’s pretty exciting. He’s a quality young man who looks to be a pretty handy footballer.”
“From the footage I’ve watched he looks like he’s got a lot of time on the ball.”
Eade pointed out that the key now would be to ensure Harvey and Augustine’s experience with Southland is a positive one, which then could help attract some more promising youngsters to the region.
“We are grateful they have given us the opportunity to take their game to the next level, so we’ve just got to deliver on that.”
Harvey and Augustine will play their club rugby in Dunedin while they are aligned to the Highlanders programme and studying, before joining Southland for the representative season.
Next year will be Harvey’s first out of school but he may well get some NPC game time in 2024 depending on how things play out.
“The first thing is integrating him into our academy and Highlanders Under-20s,” Eade said.
Ironically Harvey captained Palmerston North Boys’ High School in their Top 4 loss to Southland Boys’ High School before being selected in the New Zealand Schools team.
Eade said the priority was to retain Southland’s own promising talent for its academy programme who they feel have the ability to kick on. He was pleased they have managed to do that.
Attracting the likes of Harvey and Augustine was simply about adding to the young talent coming through locally.
The 2024 Academy will include several members of the champion SBHS first XV team including impressive prop JJ Fisher who played for the New Zealand Barbarians U18 team this year, tireless flanker and outstanding leader Gregor Rutledge, athletic No 8 Justin Shaw, workhorse lock TJ Gallen and hard-hitting, skilful midfielder Jerome Buckley-Fa’atoia.
All of these players were selected in the 2023 Highlanders schools squad.
“Our first priority this year was to ensure we identified and secured our best talent locally, our belief is these young men all have some of the tools required to not only pull on a Stags jersey, but potentially also play professional rugby if they really apply themselves,” Eade said.
“JJ, Gregor, Justin, Jerome and TJ have all worked extremely hard this year, what I like about each of them is their stories as well as the challenges they’ve overcome are all different.
“Having these quality young men commit to our programme is fantastic and exciting for our region.”
Many of the academy players will be contenders for the Highlanders U20 programme. In the case of Gregor Rutledge he could potentially be involved for the next three years given his age.
New Zealand Secondary Schools wing and prodigious SBHS talent Kiseki Fifita is heading away to complete his Mormon mission in early 2024 so he will be unavailable for the time being.
“Rugby Southland would like to wish Kiseki all the best as he embarks on the next exciting chapter in his life. We look forward to staying in contact and seeing him return home in a couple of years,” Eade said.
Meanwhile, Auckland Grammar loose forward and captain Louis Lepionka will shift south to study in Dunedin next year and will also link with the Rugby Southland academy programme.
He hasn’t been included in Otago’s academy programme and has opted to align with Southland.
It’s likely Lepionka will form a formidable loose forward trio alongside Southland Boys’ High School products Gregor Rutledge and Justin Shaw as part of the 2024 Southland Under-19 team.
Hamilton Boys’ High School first five-eighth Wyndham Patuawa and John McGlashan College halfback Henry Scott are others from outside the province who have opted to join the Rugby Southland academy programme for 2024.
A key factor in Rugby Southland being able to hang on to its local talent, and now attract school leavers from elsewhere, has been on the back of a decision to include Dunedin-based players in its academy.
This year Rugby Southland had four players based in Dunedin as part of its academy. That will increase to 10 in 2024.
It has meant that Southlanders heading to Dunedin to study are now able to remain aligned with Southland rugby.
Southland will engage a strength and conditioning coach based in Dunedin, as well as other resource coaching.
“With technology we can service elements of our programme digitally while also providing face-to-face support for these young men while they go about their tertiary studies,” Eade said.
Rugby Southland director of rugby Matt Saunders was excited about the academy group and praised the immense amount of work Eade had poured in to make it happen.
“He has done an unreal job. We’ve lost none of our local boys and added some real quality from around the country. He’s done a hell of a job selling what we are about and where we are heading,” Saunders said.
“Now we’ve got them, we’ve got to do what’s right and get them up to scratch. It’s going to take a year or two to see the fruits of it, but there’s a good hell of a good crew coming through.”
Returning to the Rugby Southland Academy for 2024 are a host of local talents. Hunter Fahey who lined up six times for the SBS Bank Southland Stags in 2023 will be back for his second year and will be pushing for significant game time in the Stags squad.
Prop Liam McIntosh who was recently named in the NZ U19 Development squad will be hoping to build towards a massive 2024 after his recent national selection.
McIntosh is one of 50 players selected nationally for a weeklong camp in Wellington next week.
RUGBY SOUTHLAND ACADEMY 2024
YEAR 1
Gregor Rutledge, JJ Fisher, Justin Shaw, TJ Gallen, Jerome Buckley Fa’atoia, Tayne Harvey, Josh Augustine, Louis Lepionka, Henry Scott, Wyndham Patuawa.
YEAR 2
Rico Fisher, Caleb Williams, Hunter Fahey, Sione Baker.
YEAR 3
Liam McIntosh, Billy Andrew, Hunter Areaiiti Burgess, Jackson Bevin, Kaea Nikora Balloch.
RUGBY SOUTHLAND ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT GROUP 2024
Keflar Morrison, Josh Evans, Sean Howlett, Ryley MacRae, Jordan O’Connell, Rico Muliaina, Preston Evans, Hoani Nikora Wilson, Thomas Jennings, Jake Evans, Jayden Broome, Thomas Spain, Noah Sutton, Mika Muliaina.