Mitchell Drummond: Canterbury Rugby Player ahead of the match against Northland

Today on the All Sports Breakfast Canterbury, Craig Kerr spoke to Canterbury Rugby's Mitchell Drummond ahead of Saturday's match against Northland. Mitchell will celebrate 100 matches today. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well that's mentioned. It's a milestone match with Cannarby and
Crusaders half back Mitchell Drummer. This week he pulls on
the Cannary jersey for the one hundredth time as his
team get their NPC campaign underway against North and this
afternoon that game kicking off at five past two. You
can have commentary of that game on gold Sport fifteen
oh three am and on the iHeartRadio app. I caught

(00:20):
up with Mitchell during the week right. It's a really
big weekend for a bloke that's been around the Cannary
and Crusaders region a hell of a lot and this
weekend plays this one hundredth game for Canary Mitchell Drummer. Drummer,
thanks for your time and congratulations.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, cheers.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
I'd like to say it's come around quickly, but it's
sort of been twelve or thirteen years, but yeah, looking
forward to it.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Not many players get to play one hundred games for
their province these days, with people shifting away and different
opportunities for players. So what is it that I guess
it's ketch you here all that time.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
A number of things.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Obviously, I really enjoyed christ Church as a as a
city to live in and me and my partner Charlotte
really enjoy it here. So if we enjoy living here,
then obviously it makes things a lot easier. And the
other side of it is I've really enjoyed playing playing
forty for Cannerbury.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
It's played with some really good people and some good.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
Great mates and had some success through my time, and yes,
it's just enjoyable.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
I know, ninety nine games one hundred coming up is
how a lot of highlights on that. But is there
any sort of one or two that have stood out
throughout those threeout those times?

Speaker 3 (01:38):
I wouldn't say games as such, but obviously had the
privilege of winning a few titles earlier in my career
here and they were pretty special, and obviously as well,
having a chance to win the Raanflely Shield was.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
As a young fellow, I never thought that, you know,
I'd be playing for the Shield or playing at win
trophies and but I'm a competitive bloke and reality is
is that's what I'm here to do, is win footy
games and ultimately do my best to contribute to winning teams.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
A lot of rivalries in the NPC competition. I guess
none more so for you than against Tessman where you're from.
I mean, let's go back, I guess till twelve or
thirteen years. How hard was it to shift out of
Tessman down here.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yeah it was at the time. It was a massive
decision for me. I grew up obviously good ment to
Nelson College and wanted to play for Tessman as a
young fellow and finished school and made the decision that
to come down here. And it wasn't just a rugby decision.
It was you know, Mum and Dad were really good
to me growing up and I didn't have to do

(02:44):
a lot as such, so I wanted the new challenge
of getting out of home and I started building apprenticeship.
I went flatting and had.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
To grow up.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
But also the lure of the Kennrby Academy was massive
for me as well. And success rate of guys come
in into the academen progressing to professional footy was really high,
so that was allure as well. But yeah, it was
tough to leave home and but I've loved my time here.
It's been awesome and christ which is home for us now.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Looking at a group of players that are going to
play for Cannarby against Northland this weekend, a massive mix
of youth and experience and I guess obviously you're one
of the experienced people, but what is it like to
work with these young guys coming through these days?

Speaker 3 (03:28):
It's refreshing, man, It's great to turn up and it
took me back to my first couple of days with
professional footing. And you know, I used to used to
joke with Rich around how we used to mess each
other the night before day one and make sure we
were going to both be wearing the right thing and
turn up at the right time. And so to see

(03:48):
those young guys turn up with that energy and loving
every day and their first taste of what it's like
to be a professional foot players infectious and it just
makes you appreciate turning up every day.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
And just finally, mate exciting to see three debutants running
out for Canry this weekend.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yes, awesome. Those Hatches obviously had a great.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
Campaign with the twenties and Jamie Hannah's long overdue to
play NBC Footies. I think he's played fifteen or sixteen
Super Rugby games already, so looking forward to to seeing
him go, and obviously James White on the bench as well.
He's been in and around our group the last year
or so and deserves his chants this weekend, all.

Speaker 1 (04:28):
Right, Johnny, Well, look, congratulations on behalf of all of
us that support Henry Rugby. Well done mate and hope
it goes.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Well chers awesome, thank you very much and yeah, looking
forward to having a bear down at the bush afterwards.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
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