Code-swapper: Speedy Leopard pounces after sporting switch

Christian Leopard wasted little time in opening his scoring record in the National League for Napier City Rovers. Photo / Neil Reid

Mid-way through 2022 former rising cricket star Christian Leopard was content playing social football.

But as football’s National League enters the business stage of round-robin play, the speedster has cemented himself a spot in the Napier City Rovers’ strike force.

Leopard’s rise in football comes after a work promotion saw him decide to forgo a New Zealand Cricket contract to play for Central Districts in the 2022-23 first-class cricket season.

The 25-year-old – who scored for Napier City Rovers in their 2-2 draw with Miramar Rangers at Bluewater Stadium last month – will line up in round six action on Saturday against Cashmere Technical in Christchurch.

The standard of football is a world away from the Napier City Rovers local Division 1 team which he proudly played for earlier this season.

“We don’t train . . . the boys are all 40 years and over,” Leopard said of that team.

“They’re all ex-National League players and they have taught me a lot.

“[The National League] has obviously been a challenge from a skill point of view, I am probably still not there in terms of that. But from watching the other guys I have learnt a lot . . . so I can only get better.

“In terms of fitness, that is probably my strength. I just have to try and work on the skill point of view and learning the game; decision-making is key to me.”

Former top-level cricketer Christian Leopard says he has been welcomed with open arms at Napier City Rovers. Photo / Neil Reid

While Leopard had moved up from the Division 1 team – who had spent four seasons with during the cricket off-season - they certainly haven’t forgotten their popular team-mate.

They were at the recent Miramar match in force, erupting in celebration when Leopard scored.

“That was them,” he laughed.

Leopard made the big switch in footy teams with about three games to go in Napier City Rovers’ Central League campaign. The Bill Robertson-coached team went on to finish the league in fourth sport, in the process qualifying for the National League.

Napier City Rovers forwards Christian Leopard, right, and Canadian import Leaford Allen. Photo / Neil Reid

At that stage Leopard had decided not to make himself available for a professional contract to play for Central Districts in the 2022-23 domestic cricket season.

For the past eight years he had been juggling cricket sport around work, but decided work had to come first after being offered a promotion to factory manager at farming equipment company, Hustler Equipment.

“I have had a good job for the last eight years on the tools and had just started getting into the management,” he said.

“The last four years I have been playing for the Div 1 Rovers side, and I have really enjoyed that. One night Bill [Robertson] came and asked me to play an 11-a-side game with the top team and straight after asked, ‘What is happening with cricket, do you want to give football a go?’.

Christian Leopard says he is loving his time with Napier City Rovers since being promoted from social footy to the National League. Photo / Neil Reid

“At first, I was probably, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll give it a go’, but then from there I have really enjoyed it.”

Robertson said he had been impressed with Leopard’s rapid rise into Napier City Rovers’ top team during their National League campaign.

He said his athleticism – Leopard was also national age-grade athletics rep while at high school – lent itself well to football.

He was also a “really good character” and had transferred over to football a professional approach to his sport – both on and off the field – that he was used to in a pro cricket environment.

“He has transitioned really well from local social football,” Robertson said.

“He has an eye for goal. He scored against Miramar a couple of weeks ago, he had a couple of chances [against Auckland FC] and I think his athleticism will continue to give him chances.

“He’s new to this environment and level, but I’m confident he will just keep getting better.”

Leopard said he had been made to feel welcome from his new sporting team-mates since being promoted to Napier City Rovers’ top team.

“It is a real team environment in terms of culture,” he said.

“I want to fit into this level and haven’t looked too far past that. I want to get better at this level.”

During the first stint of his sporting career, he played first-class, limited overs and Twenty20 cricket for Central Districts.

Christian Leopard walks off the field after a match-winning innings during his cricket career. Photo/ Warren Buckland

The allrounder also represented New Zealand at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2016. Team-mates included Black Caps Glenn Phillips, Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra.

While his prime focus is firmly on his work promotion, he said he was unsure if he would again have a crack at playing top-level domestic cricket.

“I still love cricket,” he said.

“The decision was around work, it was a pretty good offer and I didn’t really have anything to fall back on [post-sport] work-wise. So, I thought I would take it and maybe revisit cricket later on.

“But in the meantime, football [commitments] are all after work [has finished].”