New Zealand Rugby’s new scouting system reshapes school talent pathway

Bruce Holloway and Adam Julian

New Zealand Rugby has a swish new talent-identification system in operation and it is working so seamlessly that it has already generated 814 scouting reports at Under-18 level.

This swathe of detailed information is not only tidying up national selection processes for New Zealand Schools, Barbarians and Māori U18 teams, but perhaps more significantly, also looks poised to become a game-changer in terms of the broader player-development process at First XV level and beyond.

Through its operation, there have been more intensive scouting operations than ever at schoolboy level this year, as national squad contenders are evaluated.

The selection process now has a centrally managed school and club nomination process, plus an online talent-identification platform which is shared with every provincial union academy and Super Rugby Pacific franchise. Through this, a whopping 709 nominations have been received by New Zealand Rugby, with 576 individual players so far scouted from 14 provinces.

Further, there have been 238 repeat assessments, with some players scouted up to seven times.

As a snapshot, some 96 schoolboy locks have been scouted, 50 loosehead props, 89 No 8s, 57 halfbacks and 60 fullbacks.

Back in April, all New Zealand clubs and schools, via provincial unions, were given a nomination form and invited to nominate their top players through the new talent identification system. All nominated players get at least one scouting report, with every promising First XV player now having a structured pathway to being spotted.

Scouting reports go to the provincial unions to inform their U18 camps with a copy also going to the Super franchises and New Zealand Rugby high-performance talent identification manager P.J. Williams, who is championing the new system.

Williams reckons the most important part of the new national ID system is the detailed technical feedback loop being created with players.

“It is far more than a selection tool,” Williams said. “We’ve never had this before, where a school can nominate a player, a provincial union scouts the players and the data goes right back through the pipeline to the national coach, as well as to the player himself.

“The scouting reports identify not just a player’s strengths, but the things they need to get better at.

“This nurtures individual player development, because we have never had that level of feedback before. It can lift the whole level of rugby in New Zealand, because it comprises such rich information, which is going directly back to the players.

“By identifying what players are good at and what they are not so good at, in writing, gives the basis of an individual development plan. It makes for more rounded players, not just for schools but for the clubs they then go on to play for.

“And as players get better, they get closer to the attributes we are looking for in our national teams. For those selected for higher level, it means they come into camps much more aware of where they need to develop.”

Williams said it was also important to formalise scouting report detail.

“We have never previously even had an official record of who it was who has scouted players who have gone on to become All Blacks.”

The scouting template was inspired by Williams’ personal relationship with American football NFL scouts.

“I gave them a bit of a rundown on the New Zealand system,” Williams said. “And they said, ‘it’s broken, you’re doing it all wrong, you’re missing out a crucial step’.

“They said you’ve got to have individual scouts watching individual players every single week and they must produce reports that everyone can see at whatever level.

“So they gave me a baseline script for an app, and I produced it for what we want in New Zealand, with all the intricacies of our system.”

Williams said there was no shame in taking advice from American football franchise staff that New Zealand’s rugby scouting systems needed an upgrade.

“We’re always trying to get better, we’re trying to improve, we’re always trying to be innovative and creative, and we’re always trying to make the work of the provincial unions in player development a lot easier. So this is a really good system to be able to do that, and it’s going to be a game-changer.”

From the initial nominations, 108 players have been recommended to the next level for New Zealand Schools selection, with a further 51 nominations for the Barbarians U18s from out-of-school players and 59 stand-alone Māori U18 Whatukura nominations.

Footage from First XV games is also collated, with selectors watching and personally recommending 75 players for New Zealand Schools, New Zealand Barbarians U18 and Māori U18 Whatukura teams.

While the Crusaders region has led the way with nominations under the new ID system, Williams said that provincial union academy managers in general had done an incredible job across the board in adapting to a modified operational template.

“I have to thank the provinces for the manner in which they have picked up a new system at short notice and administered it. They are doing a brilliant job.”

The New Zealand Schools team have come through a tough two years, losing at home to Australia U18s and then suffering record losses in 2025, so more granular talent identification will be warmly welcomed.

The scouting report system will be particularly helpful for top Auckland 1A players, given the more insular nature of their broadcast-shy competition – and the fact the New Zealand Schools coaches are all from the South Island.

Former Highlanders assistant coach Kane Jury was this year appointed to the newly created role of men’s national pathways head coach, which includes coaching the New Zealand Schools team on top of his duties with the New Zealand U20s.

Jury previously successfully coached New Zealand Schools in 2022-23 and replaces Paul Tito in this role.

He is being assisted by Marlborough Boys’ College deputy principal and First XV head coach Laufiso “Tui” Raeli and Scott Manson (Otago Boys’ High School).

The 2026 New Zealand Schools programme will run from September 22 to October 5, with a national camp and tournament at St Paul’s Collegiate in Hamilton.

It’s a critical exercise in giving the most talented players meaningful exposure to international competition and the opportunity to evolve into a cohesive group.

The tournament will feature eight teams, including the New Zealand Schools, the New Zealand Barbarians U18 and the Māori U18 Whatukura teams, alongside the Australia Schools and the U18 sides representing Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Australia.

Each team will play three matches across the tournament window, with the New Zealand Schools side scheduled to face Fiji U18, Australia U18 and Australia Schools.

New Zealand Barbarians will be coached by former All Blacks prop Greg Feek, with former Samoa representative and long-time St Kentigern’s First XV coach Tasesa Lavea and Kelston Boys’ High School rugby director Matt Howling the assistant coaches.

U18 tournament week schedule (with kickoff times yet to be finalised)

Saturday, September 26:

• NZ Schools v Fiji U18

• NZ Barbarians U18 v Tonga U18

• NZ Māori U18 v Samoa U18

• Australia U18 v Australia Schools (to be played in Australia)

Wednesday September 30:

• NZ Schools v Australia Schools

• NZ Barbarians U18 v Australia U18

• NZ Māori v Fiji U18

• Tonga U18 v Samoa U18

Sunday, October 4:

• NZ Schools v Australia U18

• NZ Barbarians U18 v Samoa U18

• NZ Māori v Australia Schools

• Tonga U18 v Fiji U18