Archive for November 15th, 2009

Northampton Rugby Club in the English Midlands was founded in 1880 by the Reverend Samuel Wathen Wigg. It seems as if Bruce Reihana has been playing, with great distinction, for the Northampton Saints since the late 19th century.
If the two had met the reverend would have applauded Reihana’s fortitude in turning away from sin and gang culture, drugs and violence, embracing sport as a way out.
The lop-sided grin, never far away, would suggest the Thames born Reihana, who grew up on a farm in Te Awamatu, is not wearing a hair-shirt under this Northampton training top. But both as a dad to his kids – three boys and a step-daughter – and a father figure at Franklin’s Gardens, Reihana has got his act together in all facets of his life.
Having interviewed several New Zealanders playing in England, I have always sensed, if not nostalgic tears welling in the eyes, the siren call of home pastures ringing in their ears – the sense that the English years are just an adventure, albeit an utterly professional one, on rugby’s road, tasting the local ale at a foreign inn.
With Reihana it was different. Waikato, where he played with such élan including a staunch defence of the Ranfurly Shield, do not need his number. Reihana is not coming home.
England is his home. Married to an English girl Laura and living in the pretty Northamptonshire village of Naceby. When Jim Mallinder, twice capped by England at full-back and Northampton’s director of rugby, was asked if Reihana was missing his Kiwi cohorts, with Carlos Spencer now with Gloucester, Mark Robinson at Wasps and Matt Lord back on his New Zealand farm, Mallinder replied:
“Bruce is English. He’s a Northampton boy.”
Reihana could have qualified for England on residency rules; only thwarted when the five-year stand down for those who had played Test rugby for another country was changed to life.
Technically his two Tests for the All Blacks in 2000 against France and Italy cost his caps for England. Reihana does not think like that – proud of his New Zealand caps, but at the time the failure to add to them was immensely frustrating.
Reihana left New Zealand, aged 26, before it was fashionable. A unused replacement call-up for the 1999 World Cup, he also missed out on the 2003 World Cup when his versatility as both a full-back and wing was overlooked.
“There were a lot of quality back-three players around, such as Christian Cullen, Jonah Lomu, Jeff Wilson and Glen Osbourne. I am not one to wait and think ‘could I, should I, would I’. I play my rugby to achieve and if I am not achieving I move on and I chose England.”
As imports to the English game Reihana, eight years at Northampton including a stint under Wayne Smith, will go down as one of the best. His age – 33 – is not a factor, with surging pace in the line, defensive solidity and even if the captaincy has passed to Dylan Hartley, the young England hooker out of Rotorua, great leadership qualities, exemplified when he led the Saints to the European Challenge Cup last season. With the exciting Ben Foden at full-back, Reihana has been playing his rugby on the wing this season and is closing in on 200 games and 1000 points for Northampton.
“I want to keep on playing. I have the same enthusiasm for rugby as when I started. My body will tell me when I have had enough. There is a lot of great talent coming through at Northampton.”
He may stay put, but Reihana does not rule out France as an option.
“My mother is French. She tried to teach me French as a kid, but being a stubborn Maori boy I did not learn.”
What he did learn in his youth was the evils of falling in with the wrong crowd.
“I did get into a bit of mischief and gangs were an option. Rugby saved me.”
The experience has led to Reihana supporting an orphanage in Brazil called x.
“These kids growing up have not had the opportunities in life. I want to help them get a chance.”
Reihana has not been back to New Zealand for three years, although he has not totally ruled out a return.
“Hey, if there are good job offers out there, give me a ring.”
He found time in the English summer to get married on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, with Spencer and Lord as his joint best men. If Waikato supporters are missing Reihans they can log onto his website (www.brucereihana.com) and buy a Reihana shirt and drink coffee from a Reihana mug.
He has not lost touch with rugby back home and has been following the Air New Zealand Cup.
“We do not have a shortage of quality players coming through. It is a tribute to the youth systems and fantastic for such a small country to keep on producing.”
Reihana is a richly gifted all-round sportsman. Along with his brothers he used to split his weekends between union and league and played age group representative cricket in Waikato. “A bit of an all-rounder, but when I batted I tended to get on with it.”
Golf is a passion too, with Reihana playing off six.
Twice a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in Sevens, Reihana is delighted that the game will become an Olympic sport in 2016.
“Sevens is a great spectacle and the crowds will love it.”
The way the rugby world has changed was embodied in the Heineken Cup tie between Northampton and Irish province Munster at Franklin’s Gardens in a game already enshrined in European folklore. Reihana was up against Doug Howlett, with New Zealand exports continuing to enrich the northern hemisphere game.

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