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'Who wouldn’t want to come here': Crusaders' latest wing recruit out of Northland

Heremaia Murray of Northland charges forward during the round six Bunnings Warehouse NPC match between Otago and Northland at Forsyth Barr Stadium, on September 10, 2023, in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

Geographically and culturally Northland and Canterbury are about as diametrically opposed as you can get. Yet the Crusaders have a history of turning players from Taniwha country into champions.

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Jack Goodhue (81 matches, 66 wins) was a mainstay of the Crusaders midfield that won Super Rugby titles every year from 2017 to 2023. In 1998, Norm Maxwell’s try in the final against the Blues was pivotal in securing an unlikely maiden championship at Eden Park. On the wing, that season was the late Norm Berryman. ‘Stormin’ Norman scored nine tries in 13 matches and won the hearts of Cantabrians with his flamboyant style.

Northland didn’t have a memorable NPC in 2023, winning just two of ten matches. However, left winger Heremaia Murray had a breakout season, scoring eight of Northland’s 28 tries. His pair in a 32-5 win against Tasman was an especially exceptional display. In 2022, he was part of a tenacious Taniwha outfit that won six matches, including first wins over Auckland in 46 years and Wellington in 22 years.

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“I would have preferred to have more wins than good personal form, but I’m excited to be going to the Crusaders. Who wouldn’t want to come here with their success and the people they have,” Murray told RugbyPass.

“Norm was before my time but I’m aware of his legacy. Jack Goodhue, I’m more familiar with. Rivez Reihana is here too, so it’s good to have that Northland connection.

“I’d attribute my form to greater game time and better connection with the boys. I’ve been in the environment for a while now and have the confidence to really express myself.

“It means so much more playing for your home province. Northland is where my family is from. The jersey is what I wanted to wear growing up.”

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Murray was raised in Te Hapua, the most northerly settlement in New Zealand, and Ahipara close to Kaitaia. He attended Te Kura Kaupapa Maori Pukemiro, where his father Mike was the principal. Rugby came naturally to Heremaia who settled among the forwards in often free-spirited competition.

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In 2014, his world would be turned upside down. The year 10 student was sent to board at Auckland Grammar School.

“There are more people at Grammar than there are in Kaitaia. You’d walk down the hallway and see a face you’d never see again.

“I played Under 15s and second XV in the forwards. In my final year, I made the firsts, and the coach took one look at me and said, ‘You’re a winger. I was like, ‘What bro.’”

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Dave Askew was the coach. He’s been around teenage boys for a long time. In 2014 he coached the First XV to a 1A title. Future All Blacks, Reiko Ioane, and Shaun Stevenson blossomed. In 2017 he was coach of the Auckland Under 19s who won the Jock Hobbs National Memorial tournament.

Askew mentored Kiwis and All Blacks winger Matt Duffie who underwent a similar conversion.

“Dave’s a good coach and a better person. He took an interest in you and explained things. There are lots of people out there whose lives he’s influenced,” Murray acclaimed.

Heremaia became something of a legend at Grammar in 2017. He snatched an intercept and sprinted 80 meters to win the annual grudge match against King’s College 17-13. A crowd of more than 5,000 people were in attendance.

“I don’t remember much about the intercept. Once it was done, it was on to the next job. Grammar instilled that attitude,” Murray said.

“What I do remember is the hype and excitement around the match. Those big First XV games you’d circle in the calendar even if you weren’t playing in them. It was a massive deal, a real highlight of the year, and some of those games used to be on TV which was big.”

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While driving a truck, Murray had stints with Counties Manukau and Auckland, where he played in 2021. He was selected in a New Zealand Under 20s training squad but found his feet back in Northland.

Murray will be competing for a place on the wing in the Crusaders with Sevu Reece, Macca Springer, Manasa Mataele, and possibly Dallas McLeod who covered the right wing so admirably last year.

The Crusaders start their Super Rugby title defence in Hamilton with a final replay against the Chiefs on February 23.

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1 Comment
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Graham 393 days ago

Heremaia Murray is an exciting talent and he and Rizev Reihana , (as the article states ), are 2 more in a long line of Northland products to play in the Crusaders. Jack Goodhue was a big part of Scott Robertson’s successful teams and was a real leader. A fantastic human being too. Norm Maxwell in the late 90’s and early 2000’s was a committed and at times brilliant lock. That try in the 1998 final was a beauty. Norm Berryman lit up Lancaster Park and grounds around the world with his tries and smile for the Crusaders in the late 90’s. Long may Northland players come here to the Crusaders. They have done so much and we love them.

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MY NAME IS SUPRIYA KUMAR FROM INDIA PLEASE FIND TIME TO READ THIS CAREFULLY.              AS WE ALL KNOW INDIA IS NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF MAGIC SO DO NOT IGNORE THIS. BE CAREFUL HERE, NOBODY CAN HELP YOU FROM AFRICA OR EVEN SUGGEST HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR EX OR LOVE BACK, ANY TESTIMONIES OF MOST SPELL CASTER FROM AFRICA HERE MUST BE IGNORED, BECAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE SCAM I MEAN REAL SCAM AND FROM AFRICA WHICH I WAS A VICTIM AND I GOT RIPPED OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE I WAS SO ANXIOUS TO GET MY HUSBAND JOHN BACK AFTER HE LEFT ME FOR OVER 2YEARS WITH MY 3YEARS OLD SON JERRY,I HAVE APPLIED TO 7 DIFFERENT SPELL CASTER HERE I MET ON THIS BLOG AND ALL TO NO AVAIL THEY ALL ASK FOR SAME THING SEND YOUR NAME YOUR EX NAME ADDRESS AND PICTURE PHONE NUMBER ETC WHICH I DID OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND MOST OF THEM WERE FROM AFRICA, I WAS SO CONFUSED AND I WAS ALWAYS SICK BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND I WAS SO DESPERATE TO HAVE JOHN BACK TO ME I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND COULD DIE FOR HIM. UNTIL A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT THE TEMPLE OF DREAMS THE GREATEST SPELL TEMPLE, (templeofdreams1@gmail.com) TEMPLE OF BLACK AND WHITE (GOOD AND EVIL) IN INDIA, AND I DECIDED TO SEND A MAIL TO THE TEMPLE. THE SECRETARY TOLD ME THAT ALL MY PROBLEM ARE OVER SINCE I HAVE DECIDED TO CONTACT INDIA FOR HELP, HE TOLD ME TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN ME AND MY EX HUSBAND JOHN AND I DID, I TOLD HIM ALL THAT HAPPENED FROM THE BEGINNING. AND HE SAID TO ME MY CHILD WHAT YOU JUST EXPLAINED TO ME NOW IS A LITTLE PROBLEM TO HANDLE COMPARE TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS THE TEMPLE HAS HANDLED, I WAS SO SHOCKED AND I SAID TO MY SELF WHAT PROBLEM COULD BE MORE SERIOUS THAN THIS. HE TOLD ME WHAT I NEEDED TO DO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT WHAT HE SAID LOOK SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAVE HEARD IN THE PAST(THAT I WAS TO PAY FOR THE ITEMS NEEDED), I WAS HAVING DOUBT ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF PAST EXPERIENCE, BUT I DECIDED TO TRY SINCE THE TEMPLE IS LOCATED IN INDIA (ASIA) AND NOT AFRICA (NIGERIA AND SOUTH AFRICA) THEY COULD BE REAL AND DIFFERENT. SO I GAVE THEM 50% OF MY TRUST. THIS WAS LIKE A MAGIC AND DREAM COME TRUE TO ME, AFTER TWO DAYS WHEN THE SPELL HAS BEEN CASTEED, JOHN BEEPED MY PHONE AT ABOUT 9:PM I COULD NOT SLEEP THAT NIGHT BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE JOHN AND WANT HIM BACK. BY 7:AM THE NEXT MORNING HE GAVE ME ANOTHER  MISSED CALL I DECIDED NOT TO CALL BACK AS I WAS STILL ON SHOCK,   AT ABOUT 10:AM THAT MORNING HE CALLED AND I PICKED HE SAID CAN WE SEE AFTER WORK TODAY I SAID YES SO HE ENDED THE CALL IMMEDIATELY I GOT OFF WORK HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME WERE TO MEET HIM, I WAS STILL ON SHOCK, BEHOLD WHEN I GOT THERE I SAW JOHN CRYING WITH TEARS ALL OVER HIS EYES, AND HE SAID TO ME MY WIFE, I AM SO SORRY IMMEDIATELY I HUGGED HIM AND KISSED HIM WHICH I HAVE MISSED ALL THIS YEARS. ALL THANK TO TEMPLE OF DREAMS. IF YOU ARE A MAN OR A WOMAN READING THIS AND YOU ARE PASSING THROUGH SIMILAR PROBLEMS LIKE MINE, DO NOT FAIL TO CONTACT THIS GREAT TEMPLE. HE IS REALLY INDEED A REAL SPELL CASTER.           THE WORST OF ALL IS THAT I DON’T KNOW THE PARTICULAR DOCTOR THAT HELPED ME AS I WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 SPELL CASTERS WORKING IN THE TEMPLE, UNLIKE THE SINGLE SCAM DOCTORS IN AFRICA. I AM NO LONGER AFRAID OF THE SPELL CASTERS IN AFRICA BECAUSE THE TEMPLE OF DREAMS ASSURED AND GAVE ME HUNDRED PERCENT PROTECTION AND ALSO HELPED ME RECOVER 50% OF MY MONEY THAT I PAYED TO SCAMS FROM AFRICA SOME SERVICES RENDERED IN THE TEMPLE OF DREAMS (1) If you want your ex back. (2) To cure HIV/AID or related illness (3) You want to be promoted in your office. (4) You want women/men to run after you. (5) If you want a child. (6) Are you a contractor and you want to win contract (7) You want to tie your husband/wife to be yours forever. (8) If you need help spiritually. (9) How you been scammed and you want to recover you lost money.     (10)Stop Divorce (11)Invoking of Money Ritual (12)To verify if your online lover is real (13)To verify if your online loan is real (14)To be very brilliant (15)If you are looking for a good job (16)If you are old and want to look young (17) If you want to be free from threats of spell caster in AFRICA And many more.. Email... templeofdreams1@gmail.com  

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