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Overnight sensations are a rare breed in sport.
It often takes years and years of mastery to reach success at the highest levels – now even at the schoolboy level, the advancement of professionalism in rugby has increased the level of competition to unseen heights in New Zealand. Just earning a cap playing 1st XV rugby is a treasured achievement. Getting a call-up to the New Zealand Schoolboys rugby squad is a privilege reserved for few, which makes Rico Syme’s improbable selection one of the great rugby stories of the year.
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Syme gave up rugby three years ago in his second year of high school. The players around him started maturing physically but he wasn’t getting any bigger, leading to heavy hits and a knock in confidence.
He continued with golf and cricket until he decided to return to rugby socially with mates in the Christchurch Boys High School 7th XV. Although it stoked his desire to play again, it didn’t take him long to realise that he wanted to take his game to a higher level.
It wasn’t until halfway through the season that suggested anything special would come of Syme’s return, but a chance bench appearance for the 1st XV changed everything. Late in the game with his side down 23-18 against St Andrews College, he came on at fullback and scored a walk-off game-winning try, making a 60m break with only seconds remaining to score under the posts and steal the victory.
From there he became a regular 1st XV starter and the freakish highlights began to rack up, showing an uncanny knack for breaking the line, getting a flick pass away or burning opposition with pure speed. This form didn’t go unnoticed when Crusaders scouts invited Rico to trial for the under-18 side. After a week in camp, Rico became the first choice at fullback and started in a fixture against the under-18 Hurricanes.
The dream run continued for CBHS 1st XV, where they qualified top of the table for the finals however it took another bit of magic to save the season in the semi final. With his side down 28-10 to Nelson College early in the second half, he sparked a remarkable comeback after shifting to first five for a 40-34 win.
CBHS fell short of qualifying for the National Top 4 with a last minute loss to Southland Boys High School in Invercargill, but Syme soon found out he would be attending the NZ Schoolboys camp. This capped off a remarkable four months and meteoric rise.
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Syme will join the Crusaders academy from next year and start his path to professional rugby, an incredible feat for a player who wasn’t even playing this time last year.
