Rugby League: Aussie-Kiwis and the choice of allegiance

By Peter Jessup

Michael Porter is a league player with a future, has an Aussie dad and a Kiwi mum, and is keen to play for either country.

Porter is captain of a squad of Australian resident players with New Zealand parentage who have been brought across the Tasman to play in an age-group tournament under the watchful eyes of Kiwi talent scouts.

He and his squad have been camped at Rutherford High School's marae for the past two days as they get the total Kiwi immersion programme designed to help them to choose the black-and-white jersey if and when they achieve international representative status.

The plan was put into action after two former policemen, New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Gary Allcock and former Kiwi and Newcastle front-rower Sam Stewart, had a long conversation about the talent this country was missing out on.

"We sent letters to schools and clubs asking for an expression of interest in an Australian-based New Zealand under-18s team and within two weeks we had 188 replies," Stewart said.

He enlisted the help of other former black jersey wearers Darrell Williams, Mark Horo and Gary Freeman to do the selection.

"We had kids from Victoria to North Queensland so obviously we couldn't trial them," Stewart said. "We spoke to coaches and others. Two of these boys have played league for Australia at schoolboy level and two have represented Australia at union.

"There were others we'd have liked to bring but they were tied up with commitments to NRL clubs."

Some, though, chose to sidestep the New South Wales state championships being played at Tweed Heads at the same time the New Zealand under-18s are on at Hopuhopu in the Waikato.

"Their parents are ecstatic - they want them to play for New Zealand even when they were born in Aussie," Stewart said.

His aim is clear: "We want to make more players available for the Kiwi selectors to choose from. Let the Aussies develop them and we'll grab them. They've been doing it to us for years."

The players will be bound by their first choice and Stewart wants that first choice to be for the side he played for, unlike Brad Thorn and Tonie Carroll.

Porter was born in New Zealand but has lived in Newcastle for 14 of his 18 years. He earned the captaincy by virtue of being leader of the Newcastle Souths age group side Stewart coaches.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to come and show I can play and that's what I'm after - opportunity," he said.

His mother was totally supportive, he said. "Dad hasn't said too much but whenever I go into his work all the boys know all about it so obviously he's been proud, telling them what's going on."

Porter said he would be happy and honoured to be picked for either rep side.

The team met for the first time at Sydney airport before the trip over. A big question-mark hangs over their on-field performance, with Stewart reluctant to rate them but sure they will give a good account of themselves.

The expats have spent a couple of days learning the haka and touring an unfamiliar home town as well as running their first training sessions together.

"There's a couple of guitars around - we want to let them feel a real Kiwi home," Stewart said.

The Aussie Kiwis will play five games at the tournament, which kicks off at the Tainui sports camp near Ngaruawahia tomorrow. Also here to compete is the Penrith S. G. Ball side, who include Mark Horo's son.

The sidelines will be chocker with agents and club and rep talent scouts, including those of the Auckland Warriors and the NZRL.