New Blues signing Rob Rush has been rewarded for a stellar season with the Taniwha, and dad Eric could not have been more proud.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
New Blues signing Rob Rush has been rewarded for a stellar season with the Taniwha, and dad Eric could not have been more proud.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
Feisty Northland loose forward Rob Rush has thrown down the gauntlet to the Blues-based All Blacks— there won't be any respect at training come the DHL Super Rugby Pacific 2023.
The Northland flanker caught the eye of the Blues' coaches during a standout NPC season with the Taniwha, and cannotwait to take his rugby to another level.
Funnily enough, he says as a kid he was never interested in playing rugby, but that his "old man" forced him - referring to his dad, New Zealand Sevens legend Eric Rush.
"I remember my first rugby game, I actually didn't touch the ball once. I sat down and started playing with my puddle on the field, and there's vivid videos of me doing that," Rob Rush recalled.
He joins fellow Taniwha Tom Robinson, Ofa Tu'ungafasi and Sam Nock at the Blues and faces stiff competition in the loose forwards, which also has All Blacks Hoskins Sotutu, skipper Dalton Papalii and Taine Plumtree.
"I respect them with regards to the fact they are All Blacks, but when it comes to training, I've got no respect for you," Rush said in his first media interview as he laid down the challenge.
He credits his success as a rugby player to dad who pushed both Rob and his older brother Brady to work hard if they wanted to excel on the field.
Brady is part of the NZ Sevens team and is also contracted to the Northland Rugby Union.
Their dad, he said, would make them go for a run even on Christmas Day, and while the training regime when the brothers got picked for the Blues age-grade sides was "pretty harsh", that had set them in good stead.
"I wasn't really a sporty kid. I was more into watching TV programmes, cartoons, video and computer games. My dad said, 'Nah, you're not doing that', and I am thankful he said that to me."
Eric Rush said a good bunch of players Rob has been playing with for the Taniwha helped his son get to this stage.
"I thought if he kept working hard, there's a good chance he'll go up the ladder. He's not a freak athlete, but just a hard worker."
Eric Rush, with son Brady, is relishing the selection of his younger son Rob into the Blues' squad for next season's Super Rugby campaign. Photo / Tania Whyte
He said he would have been happy if Rob had been picked by the Chiefs, which he represented during his heyday.
"But I'll cheer the Blues when they play the Chiefs. Rob's selection is a great story because he's a local boy who'll come home and play for his province."
Eric Rush said he was equally pleased for Northland and Chiefs' first five Rivez Reihana and Taniwha winger Heremaia Murray who, together with Rob, shone with regular game time in the Cambridge blues this season.
Rob Rush attended Saint Kentigern College in Auckland, living and playing in the Blues region with club stints at East Tamaki, East Coast Bays and Kaeo, as well as Northland representative level teams.
Blues head coach Leon MacDonald said Rush's selection presented a real opportunity for him to grow as a rugby player.
"Rob had a really good season for Northland and has honed his craft in the Blues region for many years now.
"He is a real physical presence on the side of the scrum and has an immense engine and work-rate. We're excited to see what he can do in a Super Rugby environment."
Rush, alongside prop Josh Fusitu'a and outside back Caleb Tangitau, are the only new names to the Blues squad for 2023.
"We've injected some youth into our ranks, such as Rob and Josh in the forwards and Caleb in the backs. The key for those younger squad members will be to soak everything up, to learn from the more experienced players and to grow as individuals," MacDonald said.
MacDonald said Blues fans were keen for their team to bring home the title next season after losing to the Crusaders in the final this year.
"Obviously, we want to go one further. I know the boys will come into Blues HQ ready to hit the pre-season with some purpose - we know the hard work starts this side of Christmas."
"We took some really promising strides last season, so for me as a coach, it's about building on what went well while also bringing some fresh thinking and ideas to the table."
The Blues open their Super Rugby season against the Highlanders in Dunedin on February 24. Their first home game is against the Brumbies at Eden Park on March 3.
