A move to Vodacom URC powerhouse Leinster put Jamison Gibson-Park on the international map and he is now three wins away from being a World Cup winner.
The irony is not lost on the player, his teammates or Irish supporters that the first of those wins must come against the county of his birth and a nation he represented with pride through the Maori All Blacks.
Ireland play the All Blacks in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday in Paris and Gibson-Park is crucial to Ireland making history and winning a World Cup quarter-final for the first time.
Gibson-Park, Ireland and the All Blacks of late have been synonymous with Irish rugby history-making because Gibson-Park was in New Zealand and playing for Ireland in their historic first ever series win against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
Ireland has won three of the four Tests played between the two since New Zealand destroyed Ireland’s World Cup hopes 46-14 in the 2019 quarter-final.
There has been a 29-20 win for Ireland in Dublin and a two-one series win in New Zealand in 2022.
Gibson-Park, player of the match in Ireland’s most recent drubbing of Scotland, won rapturous applause for starting at No 9 and, because of backline injuries, finishing the match on the wing. He excelled in both positions.
ALSO: Munster, Leinster stars shoulder Ireland’s RWC quest
Hailing from Gisborne Boys’ High School and the rugby heartland of New Plymouth, home of the Taranaki Bulls, Gibson-Park was raised in a nation that breathes rugby, where the hallowed All Blacks jersey is sacred.
His childhood dreams echoed with the haunting rhythms of the haka, and his talent became apparent at a young age, propelling him through New Zealand’s rugby ranks.
A breakout star for Taranaki at the age of 20, Gibson-Park did not go unnoticed by New Zealand’s coaches and he was quickly snatched up by the Blues. Gibson-Park spent three seasons in Auckland, cementing himself as a key player in 2015, but joined the Hurricanes at the end of that year.
While TJ Perenara’s form prevented Gibson-Park from getting a start, he still played a vital role as an impact player, helping the Hurricanes win the Super Rugby title in 2016.
But his fate lay 18,000km northwest of Gisborne as, midway through 2016, he made the audacious leap to Ireland, initially on a short-term contract with Leinster. Little did he anticipate that this move across the globe would set the stage for a decision choice that would change his life forever.
LISTEN: Blowing the whistle on Ben O’Keeffe
LISTEN: Les Bleus on red alert for brutal Boks
Gibson-Park honed his skills in the emerald isle, adding to his trophy cabinet by winning titles with Leinster, while gradually earning the attention of Irish rugby selectors.
The only Leinster silverware that has eluded Gibson-Park is the URC title, with the Dublin giants topping the league on successive seasons but losing in two successive home semi-finals.
Gibson-Park’s URC appearances in 2022/23 were limited to 152 minutes in three matches, and his tactical influence at scrumhalf was absent in Leinster’s 16-15 semi-final defeat to Munster in the 2022-23 season.
What hasn’t been absent is Gibson-Park for Ireland since his debut in 2020 when he became eligible to represent Ireland under the residency rule. It was a monumental decision, one that demanded immense courage and unwavering loyalty.
He stood at the crossroads, torn between his cherished childhood dream of the iconic All Blacks jersey and embracing the green jersey of Ireland.
In the end, Gibson-Park chose the path less travelled, a path that resonated with an abiding love for his adopted homeland, a country that had warmly embraced him. It was a decision celebrated by Irish rugby enthusiasts, who recognised the depth of commitment it embodied.
FARRELL: Ireland won’t ‘fall off a cliff’
That path has seen him add to his glittering career by helping Ireland win the 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam and make a perfect start to their 2023 World Cup campaign.
It was in Ireland’s final pool match against Scotland, a game where defeat would spell an early end to their quest for the Webb Ellis Cup, that Gibson-Park showed a surprising versatility, shifting to the wing when James Lowe was substituted early in the second half.
“I felt like a fish out of water at one stage but we do a fair bit of work on covering positions in scenarios like that,” he said after the match. I have trained a bit there, not to say I felt comfortable.”
Much like how they have adopted the Cranberries’ Zombie, which echoed through Paris as they celebrated a place in the World Cup quarter-final, Ireland fans have taken to their New Zealand-born number nine.
As anticipation builds for this week’s quarter-finals, Gibson-Park, now an integral part of the Irish squad, finds himself on the cusp of facing the country of his birth in a playoff that will eliminate one contender from the tournament.
The contest promises to be a compelling testament to the remarkable odyssey of a Kiwi turned Irish hero.
Photo: ©INPHO/Ben Brady