Pathway to Podium: Bring back the dual international

Marcus Agnew, talent development project co-ordinator, Sport Hawke's Bay, pictured at the EIT gym in the Pettigrew.Green Arena, Napier. 20 May 2015 Hawke's Bay Today Photograph by Duncan Brown. HB

Dual internationals – those representing their country in two or more sports, a feat reserved for those with the highest skill and work-ethic. It's a dying phenomenon, but something that would be great to see make a comeback one day.

Historically the most revered dual internationals for us Kiwis was the so-called 'Double All Black', someone who represented New Zealand at both rugby and cricket. It was definitely one of the greatest achievements possible for a New Zealand sportsperson, representing in two of the major winter and summer codes, and sports with completely different sets of skills.

A Double All Black these days would seem pretty much impossible – but the idea of achieving in two such different sports is still something we should encourage our young athletes to strive for, even if it is only at high school levels.

In the good old days there wasn't such a clash for the codes, the seasons didn't cross-over anything like they do now. You could compete full on in the winter code, and equally in the summer. And so it became the ultimate challenge – who could represent in major sports across winter and summer.

It's something every sports fan would love to see, the magic of a mythical 'gifted' athlete, so amazing they can switch between sports with ease. Representing at one sport is great enough, but doing it in two completely different major codes is the ultimate.

So how did we get here, the Double All Black something we would all love to see, but sadly the way our society is set up, the system just won't allow for it.

The last of the Double All Blacks was Jeff Wilson, getting in four one-day internationals in 1993, and another two in 2005 – but for the most part having to focus on his rugby.

The other most recent being Brian McKechnie, who was lucky enough to be involved in a couple of the most infamous incidents in New Zealand sport, by being on the receiving end of the underarm delivery in 1981, as well as kicking the winning goal against Wales in Cardiff after Andy Haden won a penalty for the All Blacks with his dive out of the lineout in 1978.

There have of course been some great female athletes that have become dual internationals in major codes, with Sophie Devine a great recent example, whose amazing ability has had her represent New Zealand at both hockey and cricket, with well over 100 games for the NZ White Ferns Cricket, and achieving 36 caps with the Black Sticks before having to put hockey on the back burner upon earning a contract with NZ Cricket in 2013.

And even more recently of course, Hamish Bond amazed everyone by jumping from the rowing boat to seemingly immediate success on the bike. The leg strength from rowing combined with his huge aerobic engine and mental toughness helping with the transition.

The Double All Black though, or any dual international in major winter and summer codes has probably been cast aside into fantasy land forever. Unless some brilliant transformational changes occur in our world, where somehow it can become a little less professional, and less about money, then it's unlikely to ever happen again.

In the meantime though, we can still encourage young people to achieve in at least two sports to as senior level as possible, it might only be to high school age, but even that these days is an achievement worth celebrating.

*Marcus Agnew is the health and sport development manager at Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and is also a lecturer in sports science at EIT.