Connor Garden-Bachop (Ngāti Awa) was a poster child for what’s good about school sport and he has left an indelible mark on First XV rugby.
There was a great deal of sadness last Tuesday when this Māori All Black, Highlanders and Wellington winger – affable, athletic,handsome and impish – passed away following a “medical event” at the tragically young age of 25.
In 2015, when asked by this writer how Scots College could repeat their 2014 National Top Four winning success, Garden-Bachop replied: “Have fun, you never know what could happen.”
And as it happened, Scots nearly repeated their national triumph that season, falling to Rotorua Boys’ High School 27-36 in a breathless final in Rotorua.
Garden-Bachop scored 20 tries in 15 matches en route to the decider. A freewheeling Scots team won 20 out of 24 matches and scored 1026 points.
“It’s fun being given a free licence to attack,” Garden-Bachop said. “It allows the boys to express themselves and lets their natural flair come out.”
Few sides could emulate the flair of the 2014 Scots First XV. Under the coaching of former Manu Samoan international Earl Va’a and boasting prodigious talents like Alex Fidow (49 tries in 60 games), Thomas and Peter Umaga-Jensen (32 tries in 48 games), Malo Tuitama (60 tries in 37 games) and TJ Va’a (462 points in 34 matches), Scots won their first Wellington Premiership, Hurricanes Regional title and then embarrassed 1A champions Auckland Grammar School 39-22 in the National Top Four semifinal to became the first Wellington school since 1973 to capture the Moascar Cup.
Scots and Hamilton Boys’ High School shared a 26-26 draw in the final. Year 11 and No 11, Connor Garden-Bachop scored two tries.
His second was Garden-Bachop at his opportunistic best. He charged the ball down and was the only one running when he gathered it.
“I startled myself. I charged the ball down and knew I hadn’t knocked it on. I thought far out, there is no one chasing me.”
Garden-Bachop almost won Scots the game outright. He was called back for a forward pass.
“I ran down the sideline and had a three-on-one. Thomas [Umaga-Jensen] was on my inside and Joe [Boswell] was on my outside. The adrenalin was pumping, and I passed to Thomas when the easier choice would have been to pass to Joe, but I couldn’t hear him.”
Connor Garden-Bachop in action for the Highlanders. Photo / Photosport
The risk-and-reward manner in which the Scots played yielded them 17 wins and 116 tries in 21 games. Garden-Bachop crossed for 11 tries in 17 games and at the Condor Sevens later that year he scored six tries on finals day to earn a place in the tournament team.
Garden-Bachop captained Scots in 2016. Scots memorably beat St Patrick’s College, Silverstream 21-20 but came unstuck to Wairarapa College in a Premiership quarter-final.
Garden-Bachop was selected for the New Zealand Barbarians team alongside future All Blacks Leicester Fainga’anuku, Folau Fakatava, Quinn Tupaea and Tupou Vaai. They beat Australian Schools 28-17 and Fijian Schools 46-20 in Auckland.
In the Australia test at Mount Albert Grammar, Garden-Bachop busted 40m and made a try for first five-eighths Lincoln McClutchie.
College Sport Media noted of his display against Fiji at Auckland Grammar: “Garden-Bachop had a great game for the Barbarians, constantly breaking the line and causing the defence problems.”
Ironically, he opposed future Highlanders teammate Timoci Tavatavanawai.
In addition to rugby and sevens, Garden-Bachop flourished in dragon boating, volleyball, handball and athletics while at Scots.
Connor was the son of former All Black Stephen Bachop and late Black Fern Sue Garden-Bachop, who represented New Zealand in four sports: rugby, league, touch and basketball.
Older brother and fellow Māori All Black Jackson Garden-Bachop scored 776 points in 76 games for the Scots College First XV. In 2022, Jackson and Connor together won an NPC Premiership and the Ranfurly Shield with Wellington.
Additionally, Connor won two Jubilee Cups with his Wellington club Northern United and a Christchurch Metro senior title with Lincoln University in 2018.
As a father of twins, this writer once asked Connor how he did it.
