Ryan: New Zealand rugby made me as a player

New Zealand has long been acknowledged for its enact ability to produce world-class rugby players.

What isn't often acknowledged is how far behind the rest of the rugby world really is in terms of development and the extent to which New Zealand rugby's rising stars are put through their paces from an early age.

Former England No8 Dean Ryan says he attributes his club rugby stint in New Zealand as an eye-opener toward Kiwi rugby's dominance on the world stage.

"After two broken arms in two seasons with Wasps, I was desperate for rugby and my club coach, Mark Taylor, a former All Black, had pointed the way to Ngongotaha rugby club in Rotorua," Ryan wrote in the Guardian. "New Zealand rugby changed me and that's the point."

But his initial reaction to the stringent nature of New Zealand's club rugby scene left him a little taken aback.

"From school to club to All Blacks is a natural progression," Ryan said of New Zealand's rigid rugby development pathway.

After slogging out a season for Ngongotaha, Ryan became a different man to the one who first decided upon a leisurely season abroad playing club rugby.

"After three or four weeks I was prepared to call it a day. Six months of finishing each weekend black and blue was not what I wanted," Ryan said.

Despite his shaky introduction, Ryan's perseverance proved prudent as he soon found himself playing provincial rugby for Bay of Plenty.

"Bay of Plenty heard about the Brit with Ngongotaha, one of about 36 quality clubs in the region and a season with the NPC followed," Ryan said.

This was the catalyst for Ryan's career as he soon learned his time abroad had moulded him into a world-class player. His playing days on New Zealand soil gave him a push toward a career in which he represented Wasps, Newcastle, Bristol and, ultimately, England.

"The guy who left England for New Zealand might not have coped, whereas the 21-year-old who had played six months with Bay of Plenty knew what it was about," he said.