Sir John Kirwan: "It's about breaking the cycle and giving them the opportunity to turn their lives around." Photo / Tania Whyte
Sir John Kirwan: "It's about breaking the cycle and giving them the opportunity to turn their lives around." Photo / Tania Whyte
All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan is mentoring a group of Northland youth by tackling some of life's tough issues through sport.
The 53-year-old is a coach and mentor with charity School of Hard Knocks which for the first time has decided to hold a course in Whangarei with 16 young men and women enrolled.
The course, which will screen on Maori Television later this year, started this week with students, support staff, film crew and Kirwan having a powhiri and then a community barbecue in Otangarei on Thursday.
The School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) charity has changed a number of lives for the better.
The charity, which originated in the UK in 2007 and began in New Zealand last year, uses sport to tackle issues surrounding unemployment, crime and health in communities.
This year the charity is working with Te Wananga o Aotearoa, so participants can gain an NCEA Level 2 qualification through their attendance. As well as classes in fitness-related subjects, they also have two rugby training sessions a week and a gym session.
The previous two courses were held in Auckland and were just for men. This time there is a mix of eight young men and eight women.
Already Kirwan is impressed with the talent he has seen from the Te Tai Tokerau students.
"I see their potential straight away but they don't see it themselves. This is about building up their internal mana. We all think and suffer the same doubts but we can conquer them.
"We use rugby as a vehicle to change direction in their lives. It's about breaking the cycle and giving them the opportunity to turn their lives around."
Sir John Kirwan: "I see their potential straight away but they don't see it themselves." Photo / Tania Whyte
Kirwan knows himself how rugby can give someone a focus and a purpose having left school at 15.
"It shows that I'm no different to them and if you want to achieve something in life you can't let your past define you. There are plenty of people who will help if you reach out."
He said his story showed them that someone who was perceived as successful had also struggled along the way.
"They don't know me as a rugby player they know me as 'the guy from the ad'," Kirwan said with a laugh, referring to his mental health television campaigns.
Kirwan has Filipo Levi, Samoan world cup player in 2011 and former lock for Super Rugby side Highlanders, helping out with the coaching and Whangarei police constable Doug Te Puni is adding a local flavour.
Filipo Levi, left, coach from the School of Hard Knocks and Whangarei Constable Doug Te Puni. Photo / Tania Whyte
For 22-year-old Byron Repia, of Te Tii, it was too good an opportunity to miss to be able to get a fitness qualification.
He said the course allowed him to also develop his leadership skills. He has dreams of becoming a police officer and working in the youth justice area. And he has acting aspirations.
He completed level 3 NCEA, went on to do a management course through Te Wananga o Aotearoa and was now hoping for a fitness qualification.
