Wellington U19s profile: Regan Sword

Above: Regan Sword gets a pass away for Marist St Pat's in last month's Jubilee Cup final.

The Wellington U19's won the inaugural Graham Mourie Cup at the National Jock Hobbs Memorial event in 2014. Last year they underwhelmed and finished fifth. Leading up to the 2016 tournament, Club Rugby will profile some of the young Lions who are likely to feature in the tournament and who are the future of the game in the capital.

The last thing Regan Sword expected when he arrived at Marist St. Pat’s this year was to be a starting halfback in the bucqi Jubilee Cup final. Two established veterans, Ken Kapeli and Peter Sciascia, were ranked ahead of him. Sword played for the Hurricanes U18s, a team of schoolboys in July. Kapeli was injured early in the season and Sword recalls what he was told by his coaches.

"I felt really sorry for Ken. It was hard for him to get injured so badly but the coaches said you can either keep feeling sorry for him or take your opportunity."

Sword made 17 vibrant appearances (mostly from the bench) for the MSP Premiers, but usurping Peter Sciascia for the decider was highly unlikely.

"Peter broke his ankle before the final which meant I was given the start. I was stoked and nervous at the same time. In rugby anything can happen. It was hugely disappointing to lose, the boys trained the roof off, but it was still a good season and an amazing opportunity personally. I learned a hell of a lot," Sword says.

Sword played his junior rugby for Johnsonville before migrating to Feilding where he was a boarder at Hato Pāora College. Sword's dad passed through the Maori school which Regan enjoyed immensely.

"Hato Pāora isn't one of the big rugby schools like Wellington College or Mount Albert Grammar but there is a lot of history there. The traditional games against St. Pat’s Town and Te Aute College are huge for us, especially the Te Aute game. It's Maori rugby. It's hard to describe what it's like to play in those games unless you have been in them," Sword says.

Hato Pāora beat Te Aute in 2015 and Sword impressed his coach former MSP and Wellington midfield back Norm Broughton.

"I had the chance to stay in the Manawatu or go back to Wellington. Norm encouraged me to look in to MSP. I had heard how big the Jubilee Cup was and when Victoria University offered the courses I wanted to study at University it was an easy choice," Sword says.

Kemara Hauiti-Parapara is not an easy rival for a starting jersey in the Wellington U19 squad. The Tawa halfback already has one up on Sword from the Jubilee Cup final.

"Kem is a great rugby player who has taken his chances. I like the competition. It makes us better rugby players. There is healthy competition across the squad," Sword enthuses.

Wellington plays Manawatu in their final grading fixture on Saturday in Palmerston North. A win will ensure top seed in the Hurricanes region and an easier first round match at the tournament.

"The Manawatu game should be a cracker. There will be a few familiar faces and they are playing really well. If we listen to our coaches I am confident of a good result," Sword says.

Sword is a distant relation of All Blacks George Nepia and Carlos Spencer. In the summer he has played softball. He studies environmental science.