Kane spoilt for choice

4/9/2008

Multi-talented sportsman Kane Russell faces a pleasant dilemma in the years ahead.

Kane, a Year 11 (5th form) pupil, excels at hockey, athletics, cricket and rugby and in the not too distant future he will need to specialise if he wants to make his mark at international level.

Kane Russell - what to do?

At the moment, hockey is his favourite sport and has been selected in the Otago under-16, under-18 and under-21 teams for three national tournaments this year. He was in the New Zealand under-16 team last year.

After his Mum wouldn’t let him play rugby this year, Kane concentrated on honing his hockey skills.

Three of his fellow members in the Otago Boys High School First XI — Nick Ross, Blair Tarrant and Hugo Inglis —are current selections in the Junior Black Sticks squad giving him plenty of motivation.

Kane competes as both a track and field athletic during the summer, proving his ability at the New Zealand secondary schools athletics championships at Wanganui last December where he won the junior boys’ javelin title and was a member of the school’s winning 4 x 100m relay team. Not surprisingly, his favourite Olympian at Beijing was Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

When he was a pupil at Balmacewen Intermediate, Kane averaged 450 in the Milo Cricket Cup with a best score of 172 not out. He is a member of the Otago Boys’ second cricket XI and enjoys the style and success of Australian Michael Hussey.