New Rugby League Northland general manager Robbie Johnson is excited about his new challenge of growing the sport and creating pathways for upcoming players. Photo / Tania Whyte
New Rugby League Northland general manager Robbie Johnson is excited about his new challenge of growing the sport and creating pathways for upcoming players. Photo / Tania Whyte
Having played the game locally and at a professional level, Robbie Johnson is acutely aware of what it takes to grow rugby league in Northland as he beds down in his new role at the sport’s governing body in the region.
The new general manager of Rugby League Northland (RLN), Johnson has outlined his plans to raise the game’s profile, growth and club competition, and to open up pathways for aspiring Northlanders to play at the highest level.
Born and bred in Whangārei, Johnson played most of the junior grades for Takahiwai Warriors and made the Junior Kiwis side that toured Great Britain and France in 1993.
He then went on trial for the Manly Sea Eagles in the NRL and spent four seasons at the club before returning to Whangārei. He felt league, at that stage, had probably lost a bit of its strength, so he dabbled in rugby.
Now he gets to utilise all his playing experience, plus that of life and work at what was formerly Refining New Zealand, to shape the future of rugby league in Northland.
“It excites me because I’ve seen the game in its greatest form, so I know what it takes to get there, but I know where it begins - at the grassroots. To have that perspective and also understand the corporate world - and at the end of the day, money is involved, reputation is involved, and rugby league in itself is a product,” Johnson said.
He’s into the third week of his new role and is already in negotiations with an NRL club in Australia to create a pathway for talent-rich Northland.
Prior to joining RLN, he was the sports co-ordinator at Renew School in Whangārei, and said being able to work with students and use sports as an avenue to help them flourish was exciting, as not all were made for the classroom.
Growing league and creating pathways for upcoming talent are priorities for new Rugby League Northland general manager Robbie Johnson. Photo / Tania Whyte
His passion for rugby league prompted him to apply for the position, and he admitted a lot needed to be done.
“Rugby league’s been a bit disjointed, and one of my main goals is being able get that unity back into rugby league in Northland and create pathways. We’re currently in a rebuilding phase. We’ve got a good school boys’ network and young kids coming through, but there seems to be a bit of a gap there and in the premier football.
“Obviously, we want to build the pathway locally and strengthen clubs, but then a lot of kids’ dreams are to play in the NRL, so I want to make that achievable.”
On why he felt the sport was a bit disjointed in Northland, Johnson said: “I don’t think it’s necessarily the structure that’s been the problem. I think sometimes it’s the personalities within the structure, and that’s where I believe I can make a difference and bring something through my leadership that can bring that together.”
“Ultimately, I want to see the game grow right throughout Northland, and that means having a strong league in Whangārei as well as in the Far North.”
That the Taitokerau Rugby League (TRL) broke away from RLN in 2016 after frustration that Far North clubs were feeling undervalued isn’t lost on Johnson.
Former MP Hone Harawira founded TRL and, together with current TRL chairman Dave Bristow, pulled together eight Far North clubs to launch the new entity, which has continued to grow since.
Long-term, Johnson said TRL and RLN would need to operate as one entity to have true representation for the regional rep team, Northern Swords, and for clubs and league, in general, to be strengthened.
RLN has not had a premier competition in Whangārei for the last two years. Now it does.
“Definitely, the clubs are excited about the times we are in now. But I also think that there are a lot of clubs that are suffering because ultimately, clubs are just communities within a community, and a lot of the stuff comes back to home life.
“Rugby league has got to be a strength, and I don’t believe it’s seen as a strength in our community. I want to bring that back. I want to bring the coaching and development back, for referees to be strong [and] have relationships with NRL clubs,” Johnsons said.
On the revitalisation of Jubilee Park as the league’s premier venue in Northland, he said it was fantastic Riki Shelford and his executives at Whangarei City and Districts Rugby League have been able to get to a place where it was going to be financially secure and pour money back into the clubs.
Johnson declined to answer a question on how he reconciled his anti-Covid vaccination views with his new role at RLN.
