Rugby: Otago ties go back a long way

Justin Ives with wife Emily, son Nathanial and daughter Addison. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
Justin Ives with wife Emily, son Nathanial and daughter Addison. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
He will soon have a very famous team-mate but for Justin Ives, the priority is just getting on the field and wearing a blue and gold jersey.

Ives (28) was named in the Otago ITM Cup side last week but it is not the first time he has been involved with an Otago squad.

His father, Neville, has been the baggage master for the team for many years, although he will not be doing it this year. Ives junior used to go along and watch the team train when he was a youngster.

"With the old man's connections and that, I have been involved since I was 4 or 5. I used to go along to Carisbrook and watch them warm up," he said.

"I remember Tony Brown coming along as a player, and watching him come into the team. Then I went to Japan and played alongside him and he coached me there and now he is going to coach me back here."

Ives worked his way through the grades with Otago but with the way blocked by the likes of Tom Donnelly, he decided to seek a professional career in Japan.

He took up a contract with the Sanyo Wild Knights in 2008 and has spent four years with the Japanese club side, which is now called Panasonic.

Ives qualified to play for Japan last year and was named in the Cherry Blossoms squad to contest the World Cup.

But what was going to be a dream for Ives turned into a nightmare. Playing Italy in a warm-up match, he injured his knee trying to evade a tackle.

Thinking the worst, he was told by Japanese medical staff the injury should quickly heal and he should be right for the World Cup.

So, he arrived in New Zealand and was named on the bench for Japan's game against France.

But his left knee was still bugging him, and four days before the match another scan showed he had ruptured his ACL ligament and would be out of the game for months.

"It was gutting. It probably would not have been so bad if I had not been misdiagnosed in the first place. But I got all excited about playing and then couldn't. But I still managed to stay with the team in the tournament."

With the injury, Ives played no part in Panasonic's last season, instead spending months in the gym getting his knee right and body back up to scratch.

With Brown involved in coaching Panasonic and back with Otago, Ives kept in touch and came back to Dunedin more than a month ago hoping to make the Otago side.

He has played three club games for Taieri this season, and he said although it was slow going initially, he was finding his feet.

Ives will play out the Otago season and then head back to Japan to play for Panasonic on a one-year deal.

But he has bought a house in Dunedin, and the family - wife Emily and children Addison (4) and Nathanial (2) - were looking forward to eventually settling in the South. He is a qualified builder.

When Ives gets back to Japan he will link with Sonny Bill Williams, who has signed a deal to play for Panasonic.

"I've never met him before but it is quite exciting for Panasonic. A lot of people have opinions on him but, for the Japanese guys, it is going to be [exciting]."

 

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM