Trio of teams for young prop

NICK TOLERTON | 14th October 2009

Young rugby league player Rihari Peeti can claim a rare hat-trick – being selected for three different New Zealand teams in a month.

The 18-year-old prop is playing today for the New Zealand Maori 18 years team in the curtainraiser to the Kiwis-Tonga test in Rotorua.

And this time he actually gets on the field, after also being named in two merit teams – the New Zealand secondary schools tournament 13 and the New Zealand Bartercard Cup under-18 13 named after the interprovincial series.

Confirming his status as one of the country’s promising teenage players, Peeti has also just been taken to Australia by the Canberra Raiders for a week’s trial.

However, he could easily have drifted into a footie backwater a year ago.

Peeti grew up in Wanganui and before 2008 played rugby.

He was a Wanganui age group rep in both rugby (at No.8) and softball (where he pitched).

"But I wanted to try something different and league looked like a good sport to play," he said.

To play, though, he had to commute to Wellington every Saturday – two and a half hours each way – to play for Te Aroha Eels in the under-17s competition.

He did not enjoy school last year and wanted to leave, but his mother who had moved to Christchurch persuaded him to come here, and he was accepted for the Aranui High School academy.

"It was probably the best move ever!" he said.

Doors have opened for him here. This year he played premier B football and four or five premier matches for Linwood, made the Canterbury under-18 Bartercard Cup team, and helped Aranui to third at the school nationals.

And he’s also been rewarded with selection in three New Zealand 13s.

That was "pretty awesome," he said. However, perhaps more significant for the career he hopes to make in league has been his trial – held on the Gold Coast — with Canberra.

It was his first trip overseas, and he returned last week after seven days with the Raiders.

In his last year at school, he hopes to get a Toyota Cup contract "with any club" for 2010.