Super Rugby 2020: Dane Zander goes from Nudgee College thirds to the Reds
Dane Zander couldn’t crack the Nudgee College first XV at school, but now the 121kg front-rower is lining up for the Reds in a story of never giving up on your dreams.
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Dane Zander is the new poster boy for never giving up on your footy dreams after a remarkable rise from the Nudgee College Third XV to the Reds front-row.
The surprise career shot that the apprentice carpenter has built has come from his own diligence and shrewd talent spotting by Reds scrum guru Cameron Lillicrap.
He shed 9kg during the off-season so he’s throwing around a fit 121kg frame for the first time to make more of his explosive potential.
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He has put his unfashionable Norths club on the map in the process.
“It just goes to show if you’re not making it at school, your rugby career isn’t over,” Zander said from Johannesburg.
“I played seconds and thirds (at Nudgee) but there are opportunities after school through Colts, a good club and the National Rugby Championship.”
Former Reds backrower Scott Higginbotham rose to the top as a Wallaby from the Third XV at The Southport School after basketball, swimming, football and surfing were more his thing.
Zander, 20, scrummed against Wallaby props Allan Alaalatoa and James Slipper when he played the final 30 minutes against the Brumbies in Canberra last Friday.
“Definitely, it was a dream come true,” Zander said.
“I’ve always wanted to play with the Reds since I was a little kid.
“I feel I’ve developed my scrummaging a lot under Cameron Lillicrap in the NRC and I came on after Nella (Taniela Tupou) and JP (Smith) had set the benchmark against the Brumbies.”
The Reds have some key front-row decisions to make in selecting their reserves to face the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday night because a rookie hooker, Sean Farrell, will be in.
Zander ran around with Reds squadmate Fraser McReight at the Albany Creek Brumbies as a junior and was shaped by chances at Norths.
“I’m super proud of Dane,” said Norths club president Kieran Prideaux, a former 100-game prop.
“I stood beside him in Canberra after his debut and he made me look like an Under-7s player so I know the size that the Reds are backing.
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“He’s not a guy who had exposure in schoolboy representative teams or academies, he’s the guy who dreamt of playing first grade and the NRC to start with.
“He validates club rugby and the NRC as a way to get ahead for young blokes who get in there and get the job done.”
The Reds face a tough one against the Lions, who are hungry to bounce back from an inglorious 38-8 loss to the Jaguares in the opening round.
With former Wallaby hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa sidelined for up to six weeks with ankle ligament damage, the pacy Farrell has a big chance to shine as Alex Mafi’s understudy.
Originally published as Super Rugby 2020: Dane Zander goes from Nudgee College thirds to the Reds