Like father, like son - all on board at Hawke's Bay Rugby Union

Halfback Harry Campbell in the box seat for the St John's College 1st XV game. Now he'll take the hot seat as chairperson of a new Hawke's Bay Youth Rugby Board. Photo / Supplied

Prospective teenaged rugby administrator Harry Campbell found out the hard way what happens when you're late for the first meeting.

Just minutes after walking into the room at the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's headquarters, fellow high school students from Napier and Hastings, most only fleetingly known to each other, had installed him chairperson of the first Hawke's Bay Youth Rugby Board.

Perhaps he felt compelled. He was one of two who, amid universal shyness, put their hands up for the job - but the St John's College halfback was suddenly a unanimous choice.

Most wouldn't have known that the Year 12 student has a bit of extra skin in the game, with his dad Jay Campbell being the union's CEO.

On the right track as new Hawke's Bay Rugby Youth Board members are shown through the HBRU facilities by staff member Josh Downey. Photo / Paul Taylor

It did, however, come as a surprise to the boss, who didn't know his son had been put forward to represent the school on the board until just the previous day, and didn't know he'd become chair until media spilled the beans, as one forum moved out, and another moved.

"I kept out of it," said Campbell Snr, who has enough on his plate in what is a busy time for the union itself, as season reviews take place and moves are made towards securing some of the talent needed to launch another NPC bid next year.

But, steered into the job by Rugby Union board member Danny Gough and youngest staff member Josh Downey, the Youth Board - encouraged to come up with idea to put before 'the' board - won't be rushed, and has about three months to come to grips with being there before a first meeting in February, with at least two more meetings during 2023 to come.

Just like some of the Magpies on the field, the Youth Board is being given space to think about what it would like rugby to look in the future and reimagine how the game will get over some of its issues of retaining or attracting players, particularly as they leave school.

The 17-year-old Harry Campbell is not unhappy that he was "put on the spot" when the selection of a board leader came around, the process lasting barely a minute or two, and his dad revealed that by the time the prodigy got home, he was "pretty excited" about what might be ahead.

By early afternoon back at school on Mufti Day, the team and classmates had started talking about what they would like to happen for their generation to stay in the game.

"The main goal is to keep people involved," said the new administrator, whose involvement this year has been training for and playing 13-14 games for the 1st XV.

"A few of my rugby mates are talking about what they would like."

As it happened, through the good ol' media, he was able to offer an apology for his late arrival at Wednesday's meeting.

He had a "mock exam" - and the real NCEA exams are just over a fortnight away.

The other members of the new Youth Board are: James Harper (HBHS), Quincy Faiga (Tamatea HS), Pippa Giddens (NGHS), Hunter Kinney (NBHS), Oliver Arcus (Karamu), Jonty Roil (Lindisfarne), Maila Alatasi (Taradale HS), Phoenix Reid-Stowers (HGHS), and Mackayla Ahipene-Wall Faraimo (Hukarere).

They will be assisted by Downey, Gough, and fellow HBRU board representative Kirsty Kupa.