2021 New Zealand U20s
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Rising Hawke's Bay mentor Mark Ozich will coach the Highlanders at New Zealand Rugby's new Super Rugby under-20s championship, an event that will mark a significant change to the age-grade program at the national level. The tournament will be held in Taupō in April and effectively double as a trial for New Zealand under-20 selection. Although the World Rugby Under 20 Championship that was due to be held in Italy in June and July has been cancelled, it is still hoped that an Oceania tournament will happen this year.
Ozich's involvement with the Highlanders follows an outstanding campaign with the Magpies in 2020, when he bolstered his reputation as a coach on the rise.
Tony Brown will be head coach until the end of the 2022 season and assistant Clarke Dermody is being groomed to replace him, but Brown's departure to focus on Japan's 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign will open up a position in the Highlanders coaching setup.
In the shorter-term, the under-20s Super Rugby tournament will give all five Super Rugby clubs a clear development pathway for their promising younger players. For the New Zealand under-20 program, it should give players more exposure to quality coaching, training and opposition after some underwhelming recent years at the World Rugby Under 20 Championship level. After dominating the tournament in its early editions, New Zealand have won it only twice since 2012 and have not produced a World Rugby Junior Player of the Year since Julian Savea in 2010. Former under-20 coach Craig Philpott lamented the fact that New Zealand’s rivals, particularly the northern hemisphere nations, were better prepared at the under-20 level.
The Super Rugby under-20s championship does not spell the end of Jock Hobbs under-19 tournament for provincial unions, although Stuff understands it may be held under a different format.
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@stargazer said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
Typical that Ozich will coach the Highlanders U20s and not the Hurricanes U20s!
Sheesh, you’d think the canes would have lined him up to take over from the current lot. You can’t argue against his record.
Unsurprising though.
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I like the pathway aspect but would say that the Black Ferns players will see this as another avenue for NZR to sink money into the men’s game while putting SFA effort into the women.
I know it’s more complicated than that but the visuals are that they are putting no effort into finding an avenue for the women to even play let alone develop strength yet are happy to add even more opportunities for the mens.
I d be fuming at this if I was a black fern. -
@crucial Yep, they've been asking for a SR Aotearoa wahine for a few years now. It was again mentioned as preparation for the RWC2021 (because of the lack of test matches). It's a missed opportunity. I did watch several FPC games, and last year was terrible because of that North-South format, but the games between the top teams were awesome. That's what you would get if you pick the best of the best for SR teams. Maybe 5 teams would have been too many, I don't know, but they could merge Crusaders and Highlanders into one team.
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@stargazer It's also the aspect that the women always get told 'not enough money' then something new is added to the mens game.
Sad thing is that one of them is going to speak out soon and probably lose what's left of their career. -
@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@stargazer It's also the aspect that the women always get told 'not enough money' then something new is added to the mens game.
Sad thing is that one of them is going to speak out soon and probably lose what's left of their career.Or they could be thankful that the men's game is subsidising theirs...
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@antipodean You could say the same of the Under 20s ...
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@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
I like the pathway aspect but would say that the Black Ferns players will see this as another avenue for NZR to sink money into the men’s game while putting SFA effort into the women.
I know it’s more complicated than that but the visuals are that they are putting no effort into finding an avenue for the women to even play let alone develop strength yet are happy to add even more opportunities for the mens.
I d be fuming at this if I was a black fern.When women players get the crowds and sponsorship for their team. Then the rest will fall into place
the U20s are only being supported of course as these players are the future for men's rugby
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@stargazer said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@antipodean You could say the same of the Under 20s ...
A completely different situation
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@stargazer said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@antipodean You could say the same of the Under 20s ...
How? The men's game was amateur for over a century and is currently bankrolled by the highest representative team. To remain successful requires highly competitive base. It's an investment in itself for the betterment of the entire New Zealand rugby community.
If the Black Ferns were in a position to spend some of their largesse on developing female pathways I'd make the same argument. But they're not and with limited resources NZR need to determine their best use.
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@winger said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
I like the pathway aspect but would say that the Black Ferns players will see this as another avenue for NZR to sink money into the men’s game while putting SFA effort into the women.
I know it’s more complicated than that but the visuals are that they are putting no effort into finding an avenue for the women to even play let alone develop strength yet are happy to add even more opportunities for the mens.
I d be fuming at this if I was a black fern.When women players get the crowds and sponsorship for their team. Then the rest will fall into place
the U20s are only being supported of course as these players are the future for men's rugby
Chicken and egg?
I think you are missing the point though. I'm not dismissing this comp, I think it's a good idea. I'm just stating that I can imagine that the women's game will be pissed off that they get paid lip service too yet again. They were last in the queue for a comp last year, have had their RWC put in the too hard basket even when it was probably easier to arrange safely than SR and now had a new men's comp set up on top of the ones that already exist after being told there was no money in the kitty for new comps. Wouldn't you be pissed off?
Short point is poor management of stakeholders of the game. -
@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@winger said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
I like the pathway aspect but would say that the Black Ferns players will see this as another avenue for NZR to sink money into the men’s game while putting SFA effort into the women.
I know it’s more complicated than that but the visuals are that they are putting no effort into finding an avenue for the women to even play let alone develop strength yet are happy to add even more opportunities for the mens.
I d be fuming at this if I was a black fern.When women players get the crowds and sponsorship for their team. Then the rest will fall into place
the U20s are only being supported of course as these players are the future for men's rugby
Chicken and egg?
I think you are missing the point though. I'm not dismissing this comp, I think it's a good idea. I'm just stating that I can imagine that the women's game will be pissed off that they get paid lip service too yet again. They were last in the queue for a comp last year, have had their RWC put in the too hard basket even when it was probably easier to arrange safely than SR and now had a new men's comp set up on top of the ones that already exist after being told there was no money in the kitty for new comps. Wouldn't you be pissed off?
Short point is poor management of stakeholders of the game.Easier to arrange safely? An international world cup easier to arrange safely than an entirely domestic comp? What?
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@kiwimurph said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@winger said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
@crucial said in 2021 New Zealand U20s:
I like the pathway aspect but would say that the Black Ferns players will see this as another avenue for NZR to sink money into the men’s game while putting SFA effort into the women.
I know it’s more complicated than that but the visuals are that they are putting no effort into finding an avenue for the women to even play let alone develop strength yet are happy to add even more opportunities for the mens.
I d be fuming at this if I was a black fern.When women players get the crowds and sponsorship for their team. Then the rest will fall into place
the U20s are only being supported of course as these players are the future for men's rugby
Chicken and egg?
I think you are missing the point though. I'm not dismissing this comp, I think it's a good idea. I'm just stating that I can imagine that the women's game will be pissed off that they get paid lip service too yet again. They were last in the queue for a comp last year, have had their RWC put in the too hard basket even when it was probably easier to arrange safely than SR and now had a new men's comp set up on top of the ones that already exist after being told there was no money in the kitty for new comps. Wouldn't you be pissed off?
Short point is poor management of stakeholders of the game.Easier to arrange safely? An international world cup easier to arrange safely than an entirely domestic comp? What?
I mean the trans-tasman part. It goes all over the country and all sorts of contingency planning would have gone into that.
Anyway, my observation has caused a thread divergence. Maybe we should focus on the U20s? -
Revitalised Under 20 programme kicks off with Super Rugby flavour
The next big names in Super Rugby will go head-to-head across an action-packed week of rugby at the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa Under 20 tournament this April.
- Super Rugby Aotearoa Under 20 tournament next month
- Tabai Matson to coach New Zealand Under 20s
The newly formed tournament will see Under 20 sides from the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders along with a New Zealand Barbarians Club Under 20 team take part in three match days at Taupō’s Owen Delany Park. All matches will be broadcast live on Sky on 11 April, 14 April and 17 April.
Former Blues and Stormers Coach Paul Feeney will head the New Zealand Barbarian Club Under 20 coaching team, with players set to be selected from across the 26 Provincial Unions.
The New Zealand Under 20 programme also gets a boost with the announcement of Tabai Matson as Head Coach. The former Crusaders and Chiefs Assistant Coach will be joined by Tom Donnelly and Cory Jane in the coaching team.A playing programme for the New Zealand Under 20 will be confirmed in coming months, with the hope that a Trans- Ta$man bubble will enable an Oceania Tournament later this year.
The Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 tournament will not take place in 2021, with provincial unions instead delivering regional Under 19 programmes.
Super Rugby Aotearoa Under 20 DrawSunday 11 April
11.30am Hurricanes v Chiefs
1.30pm Barbarians v Highlanders
3.30pm Crusaders v BluesWednesday 14 April
11.30am Barbarians v Blues
1.30pm Hurricanes v Highlanders
3.30pm Crusaders v ChiefsSaturday 17 April
11am Crusaders v Highlanders
1pm Barbarians v Chiefs
3pm Hurricanes v Blues