NRL: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck launches jersey design competition

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has always talked about wanting to leave a legacy and he took the first small steps towards that yesterday.

The Warriors and Kiwis fullback, who is on the injury comeback trail, launched a jersey design competition for secondary school league players.

It's also symbolic for Tuivasa-Sheck, as just under five years ago he took his first steps towards glory while representing his high school.

He burst into prominence at the 2011 New Zealand Rugby League secondary schools tournament, inspiring Otahuhu College to a surprise national title.

Tuivasa-Sheck was electric from fullback and his displays led to several NRL clubs clamouring for his signature.

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He elected to sign for the Roosters, and had made his first grade debut by the end of 2012.

The rest is well documented history, with a premiership title, tests for his country and two Dally M player of the year awards.

But it all began on fields out in South Auckland with his school mates, and Tuivasa-Sheck hopes to inspire the next generation.

"I know what that tournament did for me," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "I was pretty young and just wanted to play with my mates and do my best for my school. But we did well and it led to big things for me."

This week Tuivasa-Sheck is launching his `RTS Legacy project', in association with Canterbury, which gives one of the 24 schools competing at this year's national tournament the chance to win a full set of Canterbury branded custom designed jerseys.

The competition is open to students at the relevant schools, who will submit their jersey designs based around Tuivasa-Sheck's "four pillars" of honesty, commitment, respect and faith.

"These pillars are what I base my life around [and] what drives me to succeed," said Tuivasa-Sheck. They have been important in getting me where I want to go. Leaving a legacy is important to me and I hope things like this can inspire others."