This April the Southern Zone Rugby League is rolling out the red carpet for the launch of an explosive new academy, backed by the mighty One New Zealand Warriors.
This isn’t just any academy; it’s the fourth jewel in the Warriors’ crown, part of a grand plan to scatter rugby league excellence across the nation.
To mark this game-changing occasion Warriors bigwigs Andrew McFadden, Stacey Jones, and Cameron George jetted into town, checking out the digs and sealing the deal with Southern Zone’s very own mastermind, Liam Turner.
Turner’s been the driving force behind this bold venture, dreaming up a rugby league stronghold nestled in the heart of Otago Polytechnic’s gym, with satellite hubs spreading their wings to Invercargill, Timaru, and Greymouth.
Under the watchful eye of head trainer Nathan Jones, the academy is set to kick off with a bang, handpicking a select squad of about 10 young guns from this weekend’s South Island 9s showdown in Christchurch.
“We’re starting small, but dreaming big,” Turner declared, hinting at a future where the academy is a beacon for rugby league hopefuls.
In a region where rugby union is ingrained in the community, this academy is the Warriors’ ‘battle cry’, a challenge to the status quo, promising a future where league legends are born and bred in Dunedin’s own backyard.
The tale of Kairus Booth, the Balclutha teen who snagged a spot on the Warriors under-17 squad, is just the beginning.
McFadden, the strategic genius behind the Warriors’ recruitment and development, is all in, throwing the club’s support behind this southern crusade.
“It’s all about spotting the next big thing,” he said, eyes on the prize of unearthing Dunedin’s hidden talent.
Warriors CEO George couldn’t agree more, proclaiming on the Warriors’ website that this academy as the heart of the Warriors’ mission to weave the spirit of rugby league into communities far and wide.
“Connecting with the community is what we’re all about,” he said, praising McFadden and Turner as the architects of this ambitious project.
