Aussie road agent scouts target NZ secondary school football stars...
The following may kindle memories if you happened to be a Canadian, perhaps, but lets read the story first and see if there is something similar there:
Most adult Kiwis and Aussies know all about the competition betwween Australia and New Zealand in sport, especially if you are male and kick the oval ball around. A bit of the big brother and little brother scenario, perhaps?
Its still a bit of a raw subject over on this side of the Tasman ditch that Canterbury and Crusaders coaching icon, and former All Black test player, Robbie Deans couldn't get the coaching job at the All Blacks through to The Rugby World Cup in 2011, especially if you are a Crusaders fan like myself; the third biggest sporting event behind the Soccer (football) World Cup and the Olympics!
Americans who don't know much about rugby would probably find this statement amazing - but its true. Rugby, and especially Sevens, is an international sport.
Now the Sunday papers today report those Aussie, latter day road agents are raiding our secondary schools for football talent. They are targeting the brightest up and comers with lucrative packages to entice them over to Aussie clubs with deals up to $130,000 each - not bad deals for 14 - 16 year old teenage prodigies?
Previously they had concentrated on Pacific rim players - Polynesian players who had come over to New Zealand for their secondary education.
So its all out war to discover the next Richie McCaw (current All Blacks captain) or another goal-kicking legend like Andrew Merhtens. A former All Blacks captain, Taine Randall described the Aussies as clever buggers! Recruit top-end Kiwis and you don't have to develop your own.
So back to where I started: How many Canadians have been recruited in the same manner by American scouts? I bet there has been quite a few in baseball, basketball and ice-hockey?
No comments:
Post a Comment