Rugby: Sleeping giant of NZ rugby awake

By Chris Rattue

Wellington's charge into the NPC final against Auckland on Saturday night should help the Hurricanes to rebuild a home-grown Super 12 squad.

The sleeping giant of New Zealand rugby appears to be stirring, although the bosses are quick to point out that the title chase has come when the All Blacks are overseas.

Wellington have not won the national championship since 1986 and they were not even admitted to the Southern Hemisphere Super 10 series from 1993 to 1995.

The Hurricanes have just one semifinal appearance to their credit in four seasons of Super 12.

The Hurricanes suffered the indignity of having 14 draft players flown in for this year's Super 12 in what was a massive vote of no-confidence from the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.

The Hurricanes were basically used as an overflow valve for players who could not make the initial cut of 15 in other squads, as the All Black selectors sought playing spots for World Cup contenders.

Wellington and Hurricanes chief executive David White said Taranaki's NPC semifinal appearance last year, and Wellington's appearance in this year's grand final, would help them to persuade the NZRFU that they can build their Super 12 side mainly from within.

Both White and coach Graham Mourie want to develop a Hurricanes culture based on players living in the franchise area, even if there are imports like Kupu Vanisi, who has shifted from Otago to the capital.

Mourie, the new Hurricanes coach, is cautious about overplaying the home-grown talent theme, saying players have to be judged on their individual merits and if necessary outside recruits may be signed.

But the draft system, if overused, makes it hard to build a side, and it seems certain that the Hurricanes will be able to avoid having a jet-set squad next year when each franchise can pick their first 22 players.

"That is one of the good things about Taranaki and Wellington having success in the NPC. It gives us a bargaining tool with the NZRFU," said White.

"One of the issues we faced when I came here two-and-a-half years ago was that we were broke. The Hurricanes had a good year in 1997, which helped a lot and we now have a very good portfolio of sponsors.

"I also believe Graham Mourie is just an outstanding coach and he has got a fine management team around him. We've set up an academy and seven of the national under-19 squad are in that.

"We've got to stop our young players heading across Cook Strait to get their tertiary education and the academy is helping to do that. I think we've also done some very good recruitment.

"But we've got a hell of a long way to go - we want to become one of the dominant unions in New Zealand rugby."

Part of the plan involves making sure that recruits play for unions in the Hurricanes' area - forwards Dion Waller and Vanisi, and backs Jason Spice, David Holwell and Brad Fleming are already in that category.

White is also talking to the NZRFU about being able to get Wellington's English prop, Kevin Yates, a Super 12 contract if Mourie and his Hurricanes assistant Bryan Williams want him.

The NZRFU favours contracting players who are eligible for the All Blacks, although White points out that a player like Auckland's Australian halfback Steve Devine has a contract.

Northland also claim that Wellington (and by inference the Hurricanes) are trying to lure prop Nick White, who played club rugby in Wellington this year.

Northland are negotiating hard to keep the 25-year-old loosehead prop, who coach Bryce Woodward says can also cover the other side of the scrum. Northland are hoping White is selected by the Blues to reinforce their bid to keep him.

But Wellington, it seems, are in a mood to start stamping some authority on New Zealand's rugby jungle, and that can only be good news for the Hurricanes as well.

Mourie said: " I was very happy with the attitude of the Wellington players last year and those in the Super 12 side did enough to warrant being there.

"Only one or two of the draft players really put their hand up and I thought quite a few of the others were very disappointing.

"There is a bit more confidence about our rugby now. In the long term it's important that the players have a strong affiliation with the area and it's not going to be a problem identifying and developing our own players."