League: Connection to NRL excites

A new relationship between NorthTec and NRL club the Gold Coast Titans could mean talented Northland rugby league players such as Northern Swords fullback Tumoana Halkyard, who is trialling for the Kiwis under-18 side next month, get picked up in the NRL system. Photo/File

Young Northland sportspeople could be given the chance of a lifetime if a relationship between Australian NRL franchise the Gold Coast Titans and NorthTec delivers.

NorthTec and the Titans are joining forces with the Graham Lowe Sports Performance Centre as a vehicle for Northland youth to realise their potential on and off the field.

The Performance Centre, which will start in October, will have an initial intake of 25 students aged between 16-19 from all sports, male and female, who do not have a level two NCEA qualification. They will study for a Certificate in Vocational Studies.

NorthTec chief executive Paul Binney said the Sports Performance Centre would provide an opportunity for a wide range of Northland youth, particularly those disengaged from education, to further their sporting and educational dreams at a tertiary institution.

"This will provide a pathway to a level of performance training and potential employment for the often neglected and under-utilised young talent in the Northland region," Binney said.

As part of the Centre, the Titans will come onboard as a strategic partner, bringing a non-profit charitable organisation which delivers the Titans community programmes, Titan 4 Tomorrow Ltd.

"These programmes have proved to have a positive impact with disadvantaged youth in Australia, particularly in smaller rural communities," Binney added. "This collaboration allows the utilisation of the Titans' experience and expertise to help those in the Northland region with similar programmes to be delivered by highly qualified professional staff."

Up-and-coming rugby league player Haimona Tierney said while the partnership was news to him it had potential.

The teenager is one who could benefit from the partnership, having left school to focus on his trial with the Kiwis under-18s next month.

"That's pretty good, [NRL clubs] are slowly working their way up to Northland," Tierney commented, who plays for the Northern Wairoa Bulls in the Rugby League Northland Premiership.

"I'm not looking at work at the moment, not until after the trial. After that I'll see what happens and probably apply for [a job] the meat works. I'm going to give it a go and try my best to get into the Kiwis but I don't know [what is next] yet."

Rugby League Northland general manager Alex Smits felt the connection between the Titans and Northland was an exciting one.

"It's got to be good for rugby league in Northland," he said. "[Although] no one knows what [the connection] looks like yet ... having the Titans' presence in Northland should help us develop some pathways.

"In terms of our evolution as a zone we have a representative programme which we don't have a high performance manager managing it ... hopefully with the knowledge the Titans bring it can help us develop an intellectual programme for our representative players."

As the Performance Centre develops, the intention is to provide for students who wish to study at a higher level to be involved in the programme's performance training.