Kieran Read

Drive out, sorry, from Manurewa and meet me in the nets.

It was in the middle of winter and you'd do throw downs to me and then I'd go to school.

So I was more focused on cricket, but then, yeah, in my last year at high school, James Fraser is a PE teacher at school.

He just said to me, oh, look, mate, if you want to give rugby a go, let's put a bit more effort in.

Because we were just training once or twice a week for an hour or so after school.

Yeah.

And just parents and things.

So I met him on the school field.

So instead of going to cricket in that last year in high school, I went and –

Me and James, just us two, like no one else in our team, just doing extras, like running lengths.

I was tackling him, getting over the ball.

That's cool.

Doing all these things, you know, catching and passing, you know, tackle pads, everything.

Just, yeah, from what.

And so he's the guy who probably sparked something to go for it, right?

Yeah.

So, yeah, I owe him a lot.

So it was pretty cool.

That in the end, I got to where I got to.

And honestly, I don't think I'm doing that.