Three Hato Tipene students have signed with the One New Zealand Warriors pathway programme as part of a new partnership aimed at helping rangatahi into the NRL.
Jah-Sean Albrett (Ngāti Porou), aged 14, is one of the tauira to secure a multi-year Junior Pathways contract.
“It’s made me feel real good. School has had a really, really big push on me throughout my career,” he says.
“The signing that we’ve had has made me feel real privileged and just give me an opportunity to work harder.”
Jah-Sean’s father, Jesse Albrett (Ngāti Porou), says this is a proud moment for the whānau after enrolling his son at Tipene in 2025.
“[This is] just another milestone for him to be proud of. He’s really grown as a character, and it’s really put a lot of maturity on him.”
Jah-Sean was named 15s Tama Player of the Tournament at the ANZMRL Rangatahi Tama Tournament last month, representing Counties Manukau Māori.
“It doesn’t come easy, you know, like it takes a lot of learnings, a lot of lessons you gotta go through, a lot of setbacks you gotta get over,” Jesse says.
“The year before, he didn’t make the Māori’s team at all - [he] didn’t get selected and then back kinda put a bit of fire in the belly to become a part of that team.”
Kei te whanake ngā pūkenga rīki
Warriors pathways manager Tony Iro says the programme is already growing.
“We’ve got three boys that are officially contracted to our pathways teams, and then we’ve got about another dozen who are currently training with our teams as well.”
He says Tipene is a strong fit for the programme as the school continues to rebuild since reopening in 2025.
“Tipene was a really important one for us,” he adds.
“We see some good synergies between us and the school in terms of moving forward.”
Players split their training between the school and the Warriors’ Tāmaki Makaurau headquarters, building connection with the club’s system early.
He explains younger players are brought into the system from the year they turn 15.
“We sign players from the age from the year that they are turning 15 and then they join our academy teams.”
The Warriors now run five male development levels from Under 17s through to NRL.
“We want to [integrate] young men into our pathway teams as quickly as we can.”
Kua huri te tai ki te whutupōro rīki
Tipene has a strong rugby history as one of Aotearoa’s traditional Māori boarding school rugby nurseries.
Kaiako Mita Graham says the game is changing at the school.
“E ai ki ngā kōrero kei te matemate haere te kēmu whutupōro ki tā ētahi,” says kaiako Mita Graham.
“I ngā rā o mua ko te whutupōro te kai, ngā tauira, engari kia kaua anō tātou e pōhēhē ko te rīki noa iho i konei, he nui atu ngā hākinakina, koinei noa tētahi huarahi anō e whai hua ai ā tātou nei tauira.”
Tipene is the second school to partner formally with the Warriors, alongside Saint Thomas of Canterbury College in Ōtautahi.
But Iro says the focus isn’t only on rugby league.
“Obviously, we’re in the sports industry, so we’re looking for good players, but ultimately at the end of the day we’re looking for good people too,” he says.
“We can see potential for both industries in terms of how we can help each other.”
Jah-Sean doesn’t only have his sights set on league - he also wants to become an entrepreneur.
“I wanna become the owner of a architect company.”
