Karāpiro old boy Cameron Roigard, centre, with teachers and students.
Future All Black – Cameron Roigard, pictured when he attended Karāpiro School on a day when students dressed up as what they wanted to be.
New All Black Cameron Roigard has returned to his first school.
The halfback, 22, paid a Thursday visit to Karāpiro School before heading off to the World Cup.
He brought back with him the card of congratulations students made when his selection to the All Blacks was announced. He spent some time with students talking about his journey to becoming an All Black and answered questions the students had written for him.
He told students that while at the school he couldn’t wait for class to finish so he could to get outside to play rugby.
He also talked to students preparing to bring their calves to the next Ag Day in October, telling them about his prizewinning calves – Bella, Tiger and Woods.
“It was lots of fun showing Cam his old school photos that we had dug out of our archives,” principal Tina-Maree Thatcher said. “The best pic was Cam attending school dressed up as what he wanted to be when he grew up – an All Black.”
Roigard is in line for his second Test after being named on the bench for the All Blacks’ clash with the World Champion Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday (NZ time).
Roigard was picked ahead of Blues halfback Finlay Christie, who started against the Wallabies in Dunedin.
“Cam’s only had one game with us so far,” coach Ian Foster told reporters. “He had about 18 minutes I think, something like that.
“I thought he played well, he’s trained really well, so I really felt this was a great occasion for him to get a bit more time and experience so that we get to that starting line in France with all of our 9’s feeling good and up to speed so that’s really the strategy.
New Zealand and Hautapu back-rower Luke Jacobson will make his first test start of the year.
Jacobson will earn his 15th cap in an experienced pack featuring more than 500 Test appearances as a member of a back-row also including New Zealand captain Sam Cane and Ardie Savea.
A capacity crowd of 82,000 is expected to watch the first match between the superpowers at Twickenham since the All Blacks edged the Springboks in a 2015 World Cup semi-final before lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy.
Cambridge All Blacks: Cameron Roigard and Luke Jacobson.
