As the renowned under-13 Roller Mills is left in the past, Northland Rugby Union now face the tough task of creating a new pathway for youth players to follow. Photo / File
As the renowned under-13 Roller Mills is left in the past, Northland Rugby Union now face the tough task of creating a new pathway for youth players to follow. Photo / File
The revolution of New Zealand junior rugby has claimed another victim, this time in the form of the country's supposed second-oldest provincial rugby competition - Roller Mills.
A week ago, it was announced the under-13 rugby tournament, along with the under-14 Blues Rugby programme, would be axed for 2020 bythe Northern Region Rugby Council, much to the displeasure of all rugby tragics out there who think the game has gone to the dogs.
For context, Roller Mills has traditionally been the breeding ground of many an All Blacks player - including Wilson Whineray, Colin Meads, Stan Meads, Don Clarke, Bryan Williams, Grant Fox, Michael Jones, Doug Howlett, Keven Mealamu, Stephen Donald, Sonny Bill Williams, Kieran Read, Jack Goodhue and Rieko Ioane.
But the decision to end the tournament's 94-year tenure follows what seems like an ancient, but landmark decision in February by the North Harbour Rugby Union to scrap its junior representative programmes to focus on participation and enjoyment, rather than performance and specialisation.
The famous under-13 Taniwha Shield tournament, which was played in Waipū this year, may be the next competition to see change, Hokianga's Jojo Edmonds pictured with the ball. Photo / File
I know some of you reading that last line will scoff at the thought of sport not being about winning and losing, and in a sense I agree with you. Sport is nothing without competition.
But sport is also nothing without people to play it, and with the way junior and teenage rugby numbers are going in New Zealand, it might not be too long before we start to see a crisis at the top end of our rugby production line.
It is the threat of such a crisis which has prompted the Northern Region Rugby Council to make this decision and for anyone who has kept their eye on junior rugby as a parent, coach or manager, you'll know change was needed.
The responsibility now falls to the Northland Rugby Union to develop our young rugby talents and as expected, discussions have been ongoing as to how the NRU will encourage the next generation of talent.
While nothing is confirmed at this stage, plans suggest Northland's age-group players will attend rugby camps, which will be held early next year and could include input from Mitre 10 Cup coaching staff.
In what could be described as a long-overdue move, the camps will hopefully include all players in those age groups, instead of the small pool of players normally involved in a Roller Mills campaign.
The possible expansion of the Taniwha Shield will hopefully see more players given a chance to impress and develop at a young age. Photo / File
Changes may even come to Northland's own under-13 Taniwha Shield tournament with hopes to expand its reach in the region.
It seems like the logical step forward under the newfound necessity to put junior rugby participation above performance.
However, parents will know when it comes to development and education, flooding kids into a learning space has not been proven a wise plan to enhance the progress of our kids.
Therefore, it places a huge amount of importance on how the NRU executes these camps or any other measure it implements to service those age groups. While resources are hard to come by these days, NRU coaches will know the right and the wrong ways to go about these programmes.
Junior players already feel disillusioned with the game and the last thing they need is to see themselves forgotten in a sea of young players hoping to pursue a career in rugby.
