Rugby: Bailey Simonsson has strong BOP ties

Bailey Simonsson at All Blacks Sevens training at Blake Park. Photo/John Borren

Bailey Simonsson may have been brought up in Sydney but he has strong family ties to Tauranga and Bay of Plenty.

The 19-year-old All Blacks Sevens player and Bay of Plenty Rugby Academy signing is the son of former All Black Paul Simonsson, who attended Tauranga Boys' College before playing for Waikato and Wellington. He was selected for the All Blacks in 1987 and Maori All Blacks in 1988-1989 before joining North Sydney Bears rugby league club.

He is based in Canberra these days where he is head of intelligence at the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

Bailey Simonsson has another close connection to the Greerton Marist club and Bay of Plenty Steamers through his relative, George Hicks, who played for the Bay in the 1970s.

Hicks was a founding member of the Greerton club and Bailey's middle name of George reflects the close, family bond.

Simonsson played the latter part of this season in the Baywide competition for Greerton Marist.

"My grandparents started that club and dad grew up playing at the club as a junior, so that is the reason I went there," he said. "It is definitely something I am very proud of."

Simonsson attended Sydney's Knox Grammar School and Newington College. He represented Canterbury Bulldogs in the Holden Cup (NRL U20 competition) for a season before signing for Bay of Plenty Rugby. This season he has been part of the wider Steamers squad as part of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Academy.

"I always wanted to come back to New Zealand and live here and play footy here. It was always my dream to play for New Zealand. I was signed by Bay of Plenty then got an opportunity to come and have a run with the sevens," Simonsson said.

"I jumped on board that as well. It is a game that excites me with the space and that. I am much like my old man I guess, in liking to run with the ball."

The fullback/centre/winger is looking forward to the opportunity to play for the All Blacks Sevens team in the upcoming HSBC World Series.

"This is my first coaching team here and they are awesome. They have taught me a heap I never knew before. Clark (Laidlaw) and the rest of the coaching team are very approachable and definitely get their messages across and have a good relationship with the boys.

"The facilities (High Performance Centre) are second to none. It is pretty remarkable what we sort of get access to each day which helps with our training and our recovery."

Simonsson is living close to the High Performance Centre at Blake Park with Bay of Plenty's international loose forwards Hugh Blake (Scotland) and Tyler Ardron (Canada).

Two of the flatmates could soon meet on the world stage.

"It is great. It is easy for me to get to and from training - about a 10-second walk," Bailey said. "It has been good living with them and learning off them as well. Hugh plays sevens for Scotland so it will be quite funny to play against each other."