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A school holiday programme led by a former All Black is going to be all about rugby, right?

Well, not quite.

Former All Black, Māori All Black, Chiefs and Steamers player Nathan Harris has come back to Te Puke, and for the next two weeks is holding a series of two-day rugby clinics that go beyond the playing paddock.

The programme will focus on learning and upskilling in a wide variety of rugby skills, while also teaching other important skills for success and inner confidence, such as goal-setting and dealing with pressure and resilience.

It will be the second time he has run a programme in Te Puke, the first drawing good feedback.

“This is an area I grew up in - it’s a passion project for me. I love giving back to the community - in particular, the community that served me so well for so many years.”

He says often the local rugby talent ends up at Rotorua Boys’ High School, Tauranga Boys’ College or even Auckland schools. Nathan falls into that category, having attended Tauranga Boys’ College despite being from Te Puke.

“So, how can we incentivise [them to] stay local or feel like they are supported by the local community in terms of upskilling their rugby, and also off-field abilities as well?

��“We do rugby skills and drills, but we also do some goal-setting. We set goals - first in rugby, because obviously, it’s a rugby programme - but then we set some school goals.”

The programme draws on Nathan’s own experience as a player and as someone who recognised the need to have a back-up plan.

“While I was completing my uni studies last year, I thought, ‘What could these kids be doing to try to upskill - not just in the rugby component, but also in the school component as well, to make sure they are staying on track?’ Because a lot of these kids yes, in this day and age, rely on their rugby talent to make it to the next level, but also, what I learned, was that if you focus on your academic studies as well, you’ve got a Plan B.

Having retired from rugby, Nathan is now a PE teacher at Pāpāmoa College, after graduating with a Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance.

“What I learned while I was transitioning into professional rugby was that you needed to make sure that you do your studies or, if you were doing one, your apprenticeship or something you are passionate about. Rugby’s not going to last forever. What are you spending your time outside of rugby doing?”

The programme is being held in two-day blocks for different age groups, starting with seven to eight-year-olds on Monday and Tuesday next week and catering for students up to 16 years old. The programme is being held at Murray Salt Stadium.

There are details on Te Puke Sport’s Facebook page.

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