The 17-year-old Māruawai College rugby player was recently selected for the New Zealand Māori Under-18 team, with hopes to bring a Richie McCaw mentality to the field.
Coming from Māruawai College, a school of fewer than 500 students, made the achievement much more sweet for Jayden.
This was his second crack at making the team. Last year he attended a regional trial in Dunedin, earning selection to the national trial, but fell just short of selection.
"That was gutting."
He formed a relationship with a trial coach who gave him feedback on his game and a set of goals to work towards during summer.
Those goals pushed him to play touch rugby to improve his fitness and hit the gym to build muscle.
Those were important aspects of his game that needed built upon, as he was, self-admittedly, short for a loose forward, he said.
"I just have to punch above my weight and I have to be more physical than other players."
Every day he imagined himself in the Māori team.
"I said to myself I’m going to do everything I can to make this team."
The hard work and dedication paid off last week, when he got the call to say he made the team.
"I was shaking my head. I just couldn’t believe it."
He and his mother, Toni Dunn, could not contain their excitement.
Jayden captained the Māruawai/Menzies College First XV and prided himself on his leadership.
"I love leading teams and I feel most comfortable being a leader."
Fitness was just as important as leadership.
"I’m amongst everything right from the start [and] I’m the same player from start to end."
On October 2 he will leave for Hamilton where he will meet the rest of the squad and begin training.
In the following week they will play at FMG Stadium against New Zealand Heartland U20 on October 6 and New Zealand Schools on October 10.
"To be able to show myself amongst the best in the country is unreal."
An underdog status came with being a Southlander and playing in the Māori team, he said.
"It’ll be nothing new for me. I think I’m just excited."
This year he attended the Highlanders schools development camp and has been a key player in the Southland Country U18 team.
With aspirations to go professional, selection to the Māori team was an opportunity to put his best foot towards that goal, he said.
