It started 12 months ago as a fresh training initiative to break into his school's first XV rugby team - now 17-year-old Tauranga Boys' College student Marshall Gibson finds himself in Samoa wrestling for his country.
Gibson, Year 13 at Tauranga Boys', left yesterday to compete in the Oceania championships, having
not even wrestled in the national championships yet.
Mark Grayling, Gibson's coach at the Mt Maunganui club which is based at Baypark and the national coach, has been in Samoa for a week at a world wrestling training camp.
Gibson will wrestle in the cadet (17-21 years) heavyweight (96kg+) division, one of four Western Bay of Plenty grapplers in Samoa, joining Katikati trio Caylen Greenwood (74kg junior and senior), Brook White (60kg senior) and Glen Lambert (60kg senior).
The Oceania tournament will also feature beach wrestling, a new initiative that has been trialled in New Zealand.
Gibson began wrestling last year, initially under the mistaken impression he was delving into WWF-style theatrics - "fake wrestling" he calls it - to boost his chances of making the Boys' College first XV this year.
At 1.93m and 110kg, he possesses the physical attributes for rugby but lacked technique and mental toughness, he said.
"I've found wrestling physically really hard and quite technical. At first I was trying to use my size to smash through everything but it's all about technique and patience."
With rugby trials coming up, Gibson is confident his move onto the mat has given him a lift. "My fitness has gone right up and tackling technique will have improved as well so I'm hoping I'll go okay."
The big unknown is how he'll go in Samoa against opponents who've been wrestling for a decade or more. Although the heavyweight division won't be overflowing with competitors, Gibson's got his work cut out.
"Experience is the biggest handicap right now," he said. "I've never been to a national tournament and the few bouts I have had have mainly been in the adult divisions because of my size."
