Taha Kemara: Crusaders player on being ruled out of the rest of the season with injury, re-signing

A bittersweet week for Taha Kemara.  

Kemara has been ruled out of the remainder of the rugby season after suffering an ACL injury while playing against the Highlanders last week. 

On the positive side, he’s confirmed he has re-signed with the Crusaders through until 2028. 

A young man still making his way in the demands of professional rugby Kemara is excited to continue his journey with a club that has produced a number of world class 10s and is hoping that he can continue that legacy upon his return from injury. 

Kemara spoke with Lesley Murdoch mid-week about the injury and re-signing. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Yes, obviously I have a ruptured a c L, so yeah,
it puts me up for a bit. So yeah, I've
got a plan going forward and yeah, but I rehab
to go. But yeah, sort of moving on and looking
forward to the future, which is good. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Is there any degree of injury that I mean, ACL
is bad enough you need an operation and that rehab,
but you haven't done the mc L or anything else. N.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
I think it's just a clean ACL rupture, which is
sort of a positive spin on this injury. So yeah,
I'm glad nothing else has come of it. Yeah, I've
talked to a few boys No Brandon in or Dual Bower,
Siberice sort of the boys that have gone through it recently,
and the sort of just give me a bit of
positive sort of encouragement, saying like sort of light at
the end of the tunnel, I guess. So I think

(00:47):
seeing boys that have gone I've done it before me.
Obviously it's not the best thing to go through, but
I think I'll come out the other side a better
player and a better person hopefully.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
When it happened, did you kind of know straight away?

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Yeah, I think these types of injuries you sort of know.
You had that feeling of sharp pain straight away and
sort of hear a bit of a pop on my knee.
So sort of a gruesome injury, but yeah, it's not
the best thing, but sort of moved on, moving on
from it.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, So is there a timeline for you?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, not necessarily a timeline.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
It's more so aiming to get back for the start
of the twenty twenty six Souper season, So obviously going
to miss out on NBC and the rest of the season,
which is cutting, but for me, it's about looking forward
and hopefully putting my best foot forward for.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
The start of next season.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yeah, I think that's the most serious injury that I've
sort of been through. Obviously, I ruptured my bow last year,
but that was sort of a three month and I
think this sign's going to be a bit more lengthy
than that. But being able to overcome a vestity, I've
done it before and no doubt I'm going to do
it again as well. Had my sort of suck about it,
but I think I've got new goals, new inspirations for
the rest of this year, and for me, it's not

(01:49):
about dwelling on my injury. It's about doing whatever's best
for the team and helping the boys go forward and
to hopefully finals footy. So I'm going to put my
injury aside and do whatever's best for the team, which is, yeah,
whatever they need me to do, I'll do it.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Obviously, this organization is.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
Awesome getting in behind me, my rehab, got a good
plan in place, but also my family as well. They've
flyn down from Hamilton to be with me in this time,
and those are the people I thought for as well.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
So that makes this time a lot easier for me.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
So yeah, it's been I want to say it's been awesome,
but it's sort of been cool having those that care
about me right next to me as.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Well, and some good news coming out though for you.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Ah yeah, So I have resigned to the Crusaders till
twenty twenty eight, which is it's obviously a bit of
sweet moment being injured but being able to sort of
secure a long term deal with this such a cool franchise,
Like yeah, it's just a dream of mine to be
able to live a dream be in a rugby player
every day, but to be in a franchise like this
is as a bonus and I just love this team

(02:46):
and love this sort of this city as well. Comes
about obviously when you get to the ind of your
sort of current deal, you start thinking what's what you
want to do next. Then there's only really one thing
on my mind that I wanted to do next now
is to extend my time here the Crusaders, and we
sort of worked through a bit of detail and within that.
But yeah, oh that was such a good help through

(03:07):
the process, and so was my agent as well and
things like that. So yeah, I think upstairs sort of
have it or downpack. So no, I'm happy to be
able to be here.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Did you have any other pressures coming, any other directions
to pull you back to the North Island? Uh?

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Nah, I sort of didn't get that far. I sort
of didn't want to look in here us. This is
probably where I want to settle, and we all want
my career to be in New Zealanders, just at this franchise.
So I'm happy to be here.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
And I just clearly they've been stoked with how you've
gone as well, you know in the opening part of
Super Rugby twenty five.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah, oh yeah, I think they've been pretty proud of
what I've done, been able to do so far. But
for me personally, it's probably about just getting better. We
always had the conversations after every game off the coaches
that there's always for improvement for me and obviously there's
a lot for me to grow and this introdious a
little pause and what.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
I'm going to hopefully do in the future.

Speaker 1 (04:05):
Sort of words can't describe what it feels like to
be able to be here. It's such an honor to
be able to extend and it just because myself and
my family a bit of security as well being able
to stand christ Church and I love christ Church as well,
like the city, the fans, just the environment that I
come into every day. It's just I'm living a dream.
So yeah, the motivation is probably to create a legacy

(04:27):
at this franchise, sort of for us younger players as well,
Like there's a cool group of us that have sort
of talked as well that we want to be here
long term. And obviously there's been sort of a core
group that did the seven seven in a row, so
us is a core young group, like we want to
take this franchise when our time comes to higher places.

(04:47):
So yeah, that's sort of a motivation for me and
for us as a franchise. I think we just want
to sort of leave the Jersey and a better place
than when we found it. So it was sort of
a no brainer for me to just stay here and
be where I'm happy and be where I feel at home. Yeah,
obviously my game understanding being a younger player, like, there's
a lot to learn about the game and about how
to drive a team, especially being a first five. But

(05:08):
I think skill set wise, has been able to now
a consistent skill. Probably my kicking game is probably be
massive to grow in this time. That's something sort of
when I get back on my feet being able to
do it, I'll probably be at the forefront of my
mind to now my kick skill set.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
And obviously this year we'll.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
Sort of up and down, which is probably not good
enough for a first five at super Abia level. So no,
I'm just really keener up into that skill set and
see what happens after you. I'm just trying to soak
in every opportunity I get. You know, the teenagers that
the Crusaders is obviously one of the great you know,
achievements in someone's careers.

Speaker 3 (05:44):
So I'm just trying to.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Hopefully if I do get the opportunity to put that
joosy back on, and I hope I'll do it justice
in to everyone, proud of you.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
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