Wild Knights coach Robbie Deans is a staunch advocate of the Reds International Program because it’s a unique pulse to rugby that the code should more zealously push.
Ahead of Monday’s clash between the Queensland Reds and his Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights in Kumagaya, Deans spoke passionately about what such matches and tours mean.
Deans speaks from experience. The former All Black and ex-Wallabies coach was a teenage fullback for Kiwi province Canterbury in the late 1970s when his career was launching.
“Canterbury went to Ballymore and won. The Queenslanders came to Christchurch and returned the favour,” Deans said of the late ‘70s.
“It’s from those days that the South Pacific Championship, Super Six, Super 10 and Super 12 started.
“These international relationships mean a great deal to rugby. They make it the unique game it is.
“For the players, these are the experiences of rugby. You find out a lot about each other on tour.
“Don’t be looking over the fence at other codes.
“The relationship between the Wild Knights and Reds means something. It has history to it now and it’s authentic.
“…and we don’t need reminding what the ledger is.”
The Reds have come out on top in 2022 (55-30) and 2023 (31-29) but know they’ll be in for a willing contest on Monday to decide who is to hold the Saitama-Queensland Shield in 2024.
Deans added some poignant words on Australian rugby having to put in the time to create stronger playing connections with Japanese clubs.
“Queensland rugby gets it and always has. These connections need to be made face-to-face,” Deans said.
“It’s about respect which is what they deserve. There is definite progress being made on some connections with Japanese rugby for the future.”
It’s a timely reminder that while the Reds may be on tour in Japan, it is the host club that derives as much benefit from the game as well.
We continue our Reds Tour Diary.
Day Nine: Friday, November 1
The team room is a busy place. It’s always good to get a reminder of what the mission is about when the daily meetings are done.
The Saitama-Queensland Shield has been perched in different corners of the team room for a week. Sometimes, it just sits in the middle of a table while players are eating breakfast.
It’s a subtle reminder of what the business of Monday is about…retaining it.
There’s some time off for a round of golf for a few eager players.
Tom Lynagh is a very handy golfer, plays at Royal Queensland and Indooroopilly, and is happy to give Kalani Thomas a stroke a hole.
Thomas has a quirky cross-handed (left-hand low) grip and is a purely social player. He’s smiling because he takes bragging rights against the odds.
Day 10: Saturday, November 2
The rain has set in so it’s a wet training session today.
Plenty of work gets done and there’s no slackening of the Reds’ zeal to play an attacking style.
With 29 players on tour and all fit, there’s a need for an “extra” for an opposed 15-on-15 hitout at training.
The team’s teenaged translator-liaison officer Jack Goodwin, who plays in the Wild Knights youth team, is rapt to get the nod to run on the wing.
With training done, the coaches and eight players are heading to the Kumagaya Shiritsu Nara Junior High School for a coaching clinic.
It’s too wet to play on the field so 80 kids are absorbing the fun on the indoor basketball courts.
Assistant coach Zane Hilton’s fluent Japanese gets the message across for his group. Kiss takes a little longer, via a translator, to convey to the boys and a few girls what the advantages are to running at the inside shoulder to keep the attack square.
Skipper Ryan Smith has come along and he’s tagging boys with the footy in a fun game like he’s back causing mischief at St Pats at Shorncliffe.
In July, the Reds were in Tonga and headed to the old high school of Wallaby great George Smith for the same cause…spreading the rugby gospel.
They are uplifting occasions to see the joy in young faces and guess that a youngster might add to his inspiration to forge a career out of it.
Believe it.
In 1994, the Reds played at Adcock Stadium, a stark structure in Port Elizabeth, which was only brought to life by the smiling young black faces from nearby townships.
It was Queensland rugby's first step into an impoverished corner of post-apartheid South Africa with a midweek tour game for Tim Horan, Paul Carozza, a young Dan Herbert and co against largely black opposition.
Young Siya Kolisi lived just 15 minutes down the road in Zwide. While he was too young to attend that day, he went to games just like it and played at Adcock Stadium as the new South Africa dawned.
In Brisbane a few years ago, his eyes lit up when he was shown five long unseen photos of off-field scenes at that 1994 match.
"It helped make you believe you could play in those games too," Kolisi said.
Kolisi is now a legend of the game as a two-time World Cup-winning captain of the Springboks.
The Reds staff enjoy a 6pm catch-up with their opposition counterparts at the Wild Knights Café.
Deans has instilled desirable old school values such as this at his club.
It’s a good time with good banter and there’s a chuckle when Deans catches up with Sam Cordingley, the Reds General Manager, Professional Rugby.
It was Deans who left Cordingley out of the final tour game of 2008 in Europe in what became the full stop to his Wallabies career.
There are no hard feelings because Deans delivered the news face-to-face although there’s good, playful ribbing that Cordingley may still hold a grudge. There are laughs all around.
