Wellington U19s profile: Kaide McCashin

The Wellington U19s are heading to Taupo this weekend to defend the Graham Mourie Cup that they won at the inaugural National Jock Hobbs Memorial event. Leading up to the 2015 tournament, Club Rugby is profiling some of the young Lions who are likely to feature in the tournament and indeed the future of the game in the capital.

Tipping the scales at 93kgs, Kaide McCashin isn’t your traditional ‘little halfback’.

The ‘little halfback’ phrase would have been better used to describe the 2012 Kaide McCashin who could have played in the Under 65kgs grade. Since then, almost 30kgs has been added to McCashin’s frame.

The active lifestyle that McCashin lives is the main reason behind this, often not missing a day training or working out, while also working as a lifeguard at an Upper Hutt pool.

“I work 40 hours a week which is a lot of time. Work and rugby takes up a lot of my time. I train pretty much every day to be honest,” McCashin states.

The late development of McCashin’s size perhaps explains his exclusion from representative teams earlier in his playing days.

McCashin played one preseason game for the St. Patrick’s College Silverstream 1st XV in 2013 before settling in with the 2nd XV for the remainder of the year. 2014, was the beginning of his rise though, playing consistently in a good Silverstream 1st XV.

“In 2013 I played in the Guppy Cup (an annual preseason game between Silverstream 1st XV and Upper Hutt Rams U21s) but I got the chop. Last year was my first full season and I got my cap,” says McCashin.

McCashin’s 2014 season was impressive enough to catch the eye of the Wellington Centurions U18s selectors – the first rep team McCashin had played for.

From there, McCashin went back to the club of his junior days, Upper Hutt, where he played for the successful Rams Colts team.

“I reckon we played together so well because of the brotherhood. It didn’t take long for us to all have each other’s backs.

“Turning up to trainings, it wasn’t really a job it was just something we enjoyed doing,” McCashin recalls.

McCashin’s colts team made it to the semi-finals where they fell to Norths 12-17 but McCashin’s season didn’t end there, earning a spot in the Wellington U19s.

After a loss to Tasman in a friendly, Wellington U19s went through the Hurricanes U19s Seeding Tournament unbeaten to put them in good position going into the Jock Hobbs Memorial National U19 Tournament where Wellington are hoping to retain the trophy.

“We all have a goal and that’s to go back-to-back, to bring the title back. Also, just enjoying it, I suppose that’s a big one.

“Most of us are nervous which I think is a good thing. There are going to be some pretty hard teams that are going to take some beating,” McCashin insists.

Wellington’s first game of the tournament is this Sunday 27, September, against Taranaki which can be watched on SKY Sport 2 at 6:00 PM and listened to live on 1161AM.

Wellington’s team to face Taranaki in this match is:

1. Tao-Roi Lupo
2. Josh Houston-Tupou
3. Joe Apikotoa
4. Anthony Pettett
5. Lui Luamanu
6. Vern Sosefo
7. Daniel Schrijvers
8. Patrick Fenika
9. Kaide McCashin
10. Piri Paraone
11. Malo Tuitama
12. Lester Maulolo
13. Pepesana Patafilo (c)
14. Jarrod Adams
15. Josh Robertson-Weepu
Reserves
16. Joe Walding-Karaitiana
17. Delano Morkel
18. Paasi Fine
19. Bradd Forster
20. Te Whenua Poihipi
21. Logan Henry
22. Aleks Noble-Campbell
23. Samoa Momoemausu