Latest news with #ChrisLendrum
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ Rugby drop plan to establish under-18 team
A number of secondary school principals opposed to NZR's move to establish an under-18 team. Photo: New Zealand Rugby has dropped a plan to introduce a national under-18 side following an outcry from secondary school principals, who were concerned the move would undermine the traditional New Zealand Secondary Schools team. In March, New Zealand Rugby announced it was introducing an under-18 men's team which would be the pinnacle of the age grade competition and would play two games against Australia under-18s in September and October. The New Zealand Secondary Schools side would play games against New Zealand U18 Māori and New Zealand Barbarians U18 teams, with those games essentially acting as trial games for the under-18 team. NZR was looking to establish the team in an effort to widen those eligible for the age grade team. At the time NZR general manager Chris Lendrum said "we know from our registration data that nearly 30 percent of U18 eligible players were playing at clubs in 2024 and we want to include those players in what we believe is a crucial step in our pathways programme." However, a large number of school principals opposed the move believing a New Zealand U18 team would see their elite pupils move out of secondary school rugby and into the NZR's elite pathway to the detriment of their education. NZR general manager Chris Lendrum. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi NZR has now dropped its controversial plan for 2025 at least. "We have listened to the principals' group and acknowledged the concern that our proposal had the potential to unwittingly lead to some of our youth leaving school early. While we believed there was merit in a more inclusive selection criteria, we remain committed to supporting schools as the primary vehicle for young people to develop academically, holistically and as rugby players," Lendrum said. The NZSS team will be selected under the same criteria as it was in 2024, but with an eligibility exemption for under-18 players who are playing club rugby due to the absence of a first XV programme at their school and who cannot access a combined school team. Lendrum said a joint review would then take place at the end of the season "there is also a commitment to look more broadly at the governance arrangements relationship between NZR and schools, with a shared desire to have greater alignment with the wider rugby system in New Zealand". Otago Boys' High School Rector Richard Hall, representing school principals, welcomed the decision. "The retention of the NZSS side as the pinnacle of school rugby was vital for schools, it remains a significant motivation that we can use to enhance rugby players development as people and for those involved in coaching being part of that team offers an elite coaching pathway." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
NZ Secondary Schools team restored as top under-18 rugby side
NZSS has agreed to amend its eligibility criteria to enable selection for anyone still at a school but unable to play for it due to the absence of a First XV programme. Both the schools and NZR have also agreed that they will continue to discuss ways in which they can amend their current governance arrangements so they can work more collaboratively and effectively together. NZR's main argument for wanting an age-grade team was inclusivity. It argued that such a team would open the door to players who were under 18 but not in education to play for a national team and be part of the high-performance system. NZR's general manager of professional rugby and performance, Chris Lendrum, said that, on last year's figures, 30 per cent of players eligible for a national U-18 team were registered at clubs and either not attending or not playing for a school. A consortium of 40-plus heavyweight schools, including Auckland Grammar, St Kentigern College, King's College, St Peter's College and Kelston Boys, as well as Hamilton Boys, Hastings Boys, Otago Boys, Christchurch Boys and Wellington College, pushed back, saying they believed a national U-18 team would see their elite pupils move into the national body's high-performance system and potentially compromise their education. They also argued that it would inevitably lead to the collapse of the volunteer support on which school rugby is built. Of equal concern was the belief that NZR, having failed to communicate its intentions to the schools before putting out a media release, was trying to fulfil a long-held ambition of controlling the development of elite schoolboy players. While the restoration of NZSS to premium status may seem like a compromise deal, the schools believe they have won a significant victory, as they considered the surprise proposal to be, effectively, a hostile takeover bid for school rugby by the national union. Richard Hall, rector of Otago Boys' High School, who is serving as spokesman for the secondary school principals, said the decision was a commonsense victory that recognised schools were the best places to provide young people with all their needs. He said the NZSS team remained the best pathway for coaches who were heavily invested in the First XV circuit. He also acknowledged that, while the circumstances bringing the schools to negotiate with NZR were not ideal, the agreement to rebuild the relationship and establish a partnership with the national body was being viewed as a major positive. 'We are hoping that the principals will now have a strong voice at NZR, and we don't want a repeat of what happened in March when we read about changes in a press release. 'It's a good win for us, and we will continue to have these conversations to see what unfolds.' Lendrum, who was the public face of the move to create a national U-18 team, said he still felt that widening the net to capture those players not at school remained a sound proposition, but that the execution of the strategy was 'sub-optimal'. He admitted that the lack of communication with schools before the March announcement 'was not our best work'. But like Hall, he was positive about the chance to build a stronger relationship with secondary schools.
