“What if” There was an U16 NZ Team

Last year I was able to watch Australia’s U16 National side against their U17’s Waratahs side which was an ok game. Obviously the end score was a huge win for Australia U16’s because the age gap is not that different and so the experience and size is going to be really similar. I am always up for Rep teams being selected no matter what age group it is in High School because having school teams is great but when you want the best of the best in your city to travel to another city and play their best of the best we get better as a rugby community. So “What If” NZ had an U16 New Zealand team in 2024 and what would that look like? I have the answer

I went through all the players that I know and who I saw last year from Year 10 to Year 11, all players that were playing 1st XV for their school and also U15’s but also those that made Rep U16’s and this is what I picked. I looked at players that were Ranked in my Top 60 Year 11 Rankings and evaluated what they did throughout the year for their 1st XV. I also looked at the progress that I was able to track through games I was sent and I came up with a bunch of players. I also looked further and looked at the U15’s sides that went to Nationals, but also got some games from the Hurricanes U15’s Tournament and the South Island U15’s Tournament. I felt that looking at those boys that were in Year 10 player U15’s or making their U16’s Rep side for their city needed to be more studied. One thing I was grateful for was the Youtube channel “OnSide Rugby” who had some massive games from the Canterbury U16’s side where I was able to see some solid talent for this year who will go into their 1st XV’s if they hadn’t already made it, but that channel was awesome for me. There was an overload of players in one position so I couldn’t put everyone I wanted in my team.

My Top 200 NZ U16 Team

1. Tevita Fakava (Feilding HS)
2. D’Angelo Mikaele (St Kentigern College)
3. Steven Nunn (St Peters College, Town)
4. Brady Tait (St Kentigern College)
5. Jai Hann (New Plymouth BHS)
6. Nelsson Tiumalu (St Patrick’s College, Town)
7. Luke Goodman (New Plymouth BHS)
8. Te Ariki Rogers (Rotorua BHS)
9. George Kneebone (St Bedes College)
10. Alapati Tusa Soagia (St Peters School, Cambridge)(VC)
11. Tommy McQuoid (Tauranga BC)
12. Noah Rogers (Lindisfarne College)
13. Nico Stanley (Auckland GS) (C)
14. Maxwell Kara (Hamilton BHS)
15. Malakai Hafoka (St Peters College)

16. Anthony Wirjapranata (Sacred Heart College)
17. Deon Fifita (Hamilton BHS)
18. Carter Pirie (Napier BHS)
19. Lucian Mikaele (St Kentigern College)
20. Harper Mills (St John’s College, Hamilton)
21. Malachi Emmett (Tauranga BC)
22.  Will Lovatt (Napier BHS)
23. Lafa Tofiga (Kings HS)

24. Lucas Goodman (Feilding HS)
25. Jamie Ludbrook (Kings College)
26. Z’kedeus Schwalger (Wellington College)
27. Te Irimana Hatu-Edmonds Huriwai (Rotorua BHS)
28. Te Awarangi Puketapu Pene (Lindisfarne College)
29. Calvin Harris-Tavita (Kings College)

I think we could all agree that Nico Stanley would be first on that team list right? He made NZSS last year and started and so automatically he would be your pivot point for your team. Nico is a massive kid that is tall with a wide back and shoulders, plays very hard on defence and can run lines with the best of them, and so that’s settled. Here is the other thing though when it came to automatic selections my second and third picks were right away Alapati Tusa Soagia from St Peters School in Cambridge at 1st 5/8 and right to another CNI (Central North Island) player Noah Rogers from Lindisfarne College who would join Nico in the midfield. Noah Rogers, if you haven’t seen him play, has so much offence to his game that he is a hard player to pin down when creating a game plan for him. Here is why. He will crash ball on you to test you and one on one tackles dont work on him so when he runs over you or has you dragging off his jersey you have to think of something else. Now you push him outside he has that quick footwork to draw two players in and an offload. Then he has a passing and kicking game as well so that brings wingers into the mix and its just not something easy to stop.

Next on my automatic list I went right to 4 players. The two League boys from St Patrick’s College Town in Prop Steven Nunn and Blind Side Nelsson Tiumalu. Now these two boys can get a team going forward with quickness off the spot, power going into contact and then that passing game they have after a broken tackle or the offload after drawing guys in. I had seen them as U15 players and then on film playing league but then seeing them as 1st XV players and right in the thick of the action both boys were just so unstoppable. Then the other two were Rotorua BHS No.8 Te Ariki Rogers and Loose forward Luke Goodman from New Plymouth BHS. Both these boys made the U18’s Chiefs as Year 11’s and more than held their own and it really wasn’t surprising. I feel a lot of leadership from both boys and the way they change the game but then also know how to make a point of difference in a game with opportunities when it is presented. What this means is that it is them making plays not just with running the ball or a tackle but also giving up their body to run a line and taking a hit to get the outside man a gap, or giving the ball early, cleaning out a body for quick safe ball and not just picking and going just because they want the ball in their hands.

These guys that were automatic for me were like the base for my team and how I would create everything around them and for me seeing other guys that would complement those players’ styles. I wanted to see Steven Nunn and D’Angelo Mikaele play off each other around the rucks, I wanted to see what Te Ariki Rogers would look like with Lucian Mikaele at 6 and Harper Mills at 7 around the 55th minute. I want to see Nico Stanley work with Maxwell Kara and Malakai Hafoka running lines and connecting off broken play and exposing lazy defence. Lafa Tofiga coming on for Malakai Hafoka and seeing him add that extra skillset to the running game. There were just so many aspects to this team that I personally thought we could see and be excited for for the future of NZ Rugby. Having Rep sides for me is a pay off for your hard work and also a drive for others. It creates memories for players and a target for the future kids coming up to that age group in the next year or so. We all understand that not everyone can make it and that there are only a few spots. Making these younger Rep teams even up to NZ U20’s doesn’t secure you a Pro career and so that is not the message being given here for why we should have these teams. My mindset and message is that Rep teams for High School age players are a start for building a standard of what to expect in real life. Sometimes you make it, sometimes you don’t, you can work and work, be proud of putting out that effort and understand that you only have control of what you yourself can control. We can teach kids to leave things to chance after putting in hard work because we (the adults) all work hard at our jobs and don’t know where that is going to lead us but we do our best and not give up on working hard. There are All Blacks that didn’t make NZSS but then made NZ U20’s and everything started there, but these guys never gave up and just worked hard.

I have seen a shift in our kids with how they earn things and some want that instant gratification because that is what our world is today and are not comfortable with the grind of the journey. Some want the prize after warm ups and if it’s not there then they want to give up and I see it in my own kids as well and as a parent try to find ways to teach them out of that mindset. For me and our Rugby boys in High School every team is an accomplishment from making U14’s A side to U15’s A side to 2nd XV and 1st XV, but when you get into Rep teams for the city you are in and for your Region and Country, I feel like you start these new fires of wanting to achieve more and when I look at a side like our U16’s New Zealand team and what could have been for last year we would have beaten Australia up and then having that thirst for that Black Jersey begins. I wish we could have one this year and make them play a few U18’s sides around the country.