Ingram selected for Hurricanes Development

Gisborne Boys’ High School openside flanker Braith Ingram in action against Palmerston North Boys’ High School at the Rectory. Ingram has been selected for the Under 18 Hurricanes Development squad and will attend a camp in October. Picture by Paul Rickard

Braith Ingram deserves this.

The personification of courage and commitment this rugby season, Gisborne Boys’ High School prefect, first 15 captain and openside flanker Braith Ingram has been selected for the Hurricanes under 18 development camp over October 3-8 at the New Zealand College Institute of Sport and St. Patrick’s College Silverstream.

The under 18 camp will be run by Hurricanes recruitment and development manager Darren Larsen, on whose watch in 2020 another GBHS skipper fetcher Amos Roddick took his chance to step up at the next level.

While the focus will be the Hurricanes Pathway, coach and player connections, rugby skill assessment, mental skills, nutrition education, physical conditioning demands, game analysis and game performance, for the players a highlight will undoubtedly be the games against the Crusaders under 18s from 11.30am at Lansdown Park in Blenheim on Saturday, October 7.

Ingram, 17, played his first rugby for Pirates, then Awapuni School prior to Gisborne Intermediate School and Gisborne Boys’ High School. For the last two weeks he has trained with the Civil Project Solutions Poverty Bay Wekas and made a lasting impression on their head coach, Miah Nikora.

“Braith’s gutsy — a scavenger who’s always around the ball and because he’s close to the ground, he gets turnover ball. He’s hard to shift off that ball once he’s got it and he’s very courageous in the way he defends,” said Nikora, a former New Zealand Schools representative. “He does homework on his position, he works hard off the field and he wants to play at the next level.

“In terms of developing in different ways, the soft skills (catch and pass) go with the hard skills (physicality). There’s always something to work on. He’s got a great future.”

The skipper who led Gisborne Boys’ to the GBHS first 15’s first Super 8 win in three years, 28-24 against New Plymouth BHS at their Gully ground on August 5, knows his strengths — and his own mind.

“My big points as a rugby player include my tackling, running game, speed and strength. I love the physicality of the game, I love team sport and knowing I have boys who will back me — proudly, I call them my brothers,” said Ingram, who debuted at No.7 off the bench against NPBHS at the Gully two years ago. “The word team means having that brotherhood, having that strong connection.”

Of the young players the school has turned out in the last five years, this Upper Hutt-bound, second-generation GBHS first 15 patriot is as good — and worthy — a prospect as any.