Karamu High School 13-year-old catches eye of NRL scouts

Kleeshae Liddington-Tamati impressed scouts at the 2021 New Zealand Māori Rugby League tournament. Photo / Supplied

Karamu High School student Kleeshae Liddington-Tamati is about to take his first steps towards the professional rugby league career he has always dreamed of.

The 13-year-old is one of 35 promising players from throughout New Zealand who will take part in three NRL training camps under the Educational Sports Program (ESP) Trust.

"I just feel very privileged to get this opportunity," Liddington-Tamati said.

"The dream has always been to play professional rugby league as soon as possible for as long as I can in my life."

The game is in the prop forward's blood; grandfather Kevin Tamati played in the same position for the New Zealand Kiwis and English professional clubs Widnes and Warrington in the 1980s.

Liddington-Tamati impressed scouts at the 2021 New Zealand Māori Rugby League tournament, but was unsure as to whether he had made the cut.

His parents Te Rei and Trace Liddington were the first to find out the news.

"I wasn't even at home at the time my mum got a call from ESP, so she had to ring me to tell me. I was with some of my friends, and we were all stoked. It was pretty cool to hear," Kleeshae said.

"Mum is proud. She is just so excited for me knowing that this is my dream, and this might be where my dream starts."

The training camps will be hosted by the Brisbane Broncos, Wests Tigers and Melbourne Storm in Auckland in July, October and December.

"I want to learn as much knowledge as I can to make me a better player in general and hopefully be selected for higher teams," Liddington-Tamati said.

ESP Trust is a charitable organisation that provides sport-based life education coaching clinics to young and aspiring rugby league players.

Karamu High School principal Dionne Thomas said her school prided itself on providing a melting pot of opportunities.

"It is exciting to see how Kleeshae has found his passion and is pursuing it with all he has. He has also thrown himself into kapa haka at school," she said.