Beware of the beast! England's back-row colossus Chandler Cunningham-South who grew up in New Zealand is ready to rumble against the All Blacks
The Harlequins flanker has hit the ground running as an England player Cunningham-South was born in Kent but moved to New Zealand aged four He made his first Test start in England's 52-17 victory against Japan this month
Chandler Cunningham-South has hit the ground running as an England player and it turns out that such an instant impact is nothing new for the giant Harlequins flanker.
The 21-year-old was born in Kent, but his family moved to New Zealand when he was just four. There, he was soon introduced to rugby – and immediately showed an aptitude for the Kiwis’ national sport. ‘In his first game as a four-year-old, we just plonked him on the field and he instinctively seemed to know what to do,’ said Chandler’s mother, Caroline.
‘It was tag rugby – they call it Rippa. He ran with whoever had the ball, so when they were tagged, he would take the ball and score. He worked that out very quickly. He has always read the game well.’
Caroline, husband Richard and their two children – Chandler and sister Mia – lived in a coastal area north of Auckland and Chandler played for the local Silverdale Rugby Club. But oval-ball activities were just one part of his sporting repertoire.
‘Rugby wasn’t the only sport he played – there was a different one every day,’ said his mum. ‘He did water polo, netball, hockey, soccer… anything to keep him occupied! He was very competitive and involved in a lot of representative teams. He was always trialling for something.’
Chandler Cunningham-South will be keen to make an impact for England against New Zealand
Last weekend, he made his first Test start, scored the opening try in a 52-17 win over Japan
The 21-year-old was born in Kent but his family moved to New Zealand at the age of four
A significant stepping stone to what has become a burgeoning professional career was the choice of high school. ‘He went to Hamilton Boys’ School which is arguably the best rugby school in New Zealand, and he made the top team there for his age group,’ said Caroline. ‘That’s where he began to see that he had potential and being there stood him in good stead. It was his decision to board at a good sporting school. He had realised by then what he wanted to do.’
Cunningham-South later switched to Westlake College in Auckland, where Hugh McGahan was – and still is – the director of rugby. The former New Zealand captain in league remembers a teenage prospect who had clear potential, but also some rough edges.
‘I couldn’t believe the size of this kid,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘He was a big beast of a boy who didn’t really know how to use it properly. He loved to run the ball, he was free-flowing and he passed one-handed. But in defence and at the breakdown, he had a habit of not doing a lot of work.
‘The boys were expected to put in effort with their academics, but Chandler’s attendance wasn’t that great, which meant he couldn’t always play rugby. He would play one week and not the next. He got the idea about what he needed to do, but he loved to push the boundaries. He was the first boy in the school who was allowed to have dreadlocks, for cultural reasons.
‘He moved into our first XV and our coach was in awe of him. He was a devastating player, but didn’t have a great work ethic. We had gym sessions every morning and he wasn’t always at them. But there is no question he had the potential. At some point along the way, he has switched himself on.’
That view is shared by Peter Magson, the head of sport at Lincoln University in Christchurch, where Cunningham-South went to study and continue his rugby journey. Magson also recalls a talented teen who had the raw credentials to have a fine career – once he had developed the right mind-set.
‘Chandler came to Lincoln University in 2021 and played for our Premier reserve team that year, as a No 8, loose forward and lock,’ he said. ‘He was one of the biggest boys in the squad. His work ethic wasn’t great then, but he was a big lad and he could run pretty hard. He could read the play well in broken field and, as the year went on, he became more physical at the breakdown.
‘He did his first year at university, then he went overseas. We didn’t know he was going to be playing rugby, but he landed up in the England Under 20s team. It was a bit of a surprise, but that’s when he started to realise his potential. He has a magnificent frame to work with and he must have seen the light. Sometimes the light just switches on for young men. Some of them mature later than others.
Chandler's mum Caroline said he was 'plonked on the field at the age of four and instinctively seemed to know what to do'
Cunningham-South (centre back row) went to Hamilton Boys’ School which is seen as arguably the best rugby school in New Zealand
Cunningham-South (centre, back) was described as a 'beast' by former rugby league New Zealand captain Hugh McGahan - who is director of rugby at Westlake College in Auckland
‘One of the things I’ve noticed is that the commitment he has in games now is fantastic. That’s what makes great loose forwards. He’s done really well.’
The relocation to the country of his birth has proved to be an inspired move for Cunningham-South – propelling him into professional rugby, first with London Irish then, after the collapse of the Exiles, on to Harlequins. Explaining how her son’s career-igniting move came about, Caroline said: ‘He knew that to make it in rugby, he needed to make the next step from a university team to an academy.
‘There were no academy places offered in New Zealand at that time. So, Chandler sent reels of him playing to clubs around the world. He had offers from Japan, France and the UK. They all saw the potential in him. He was so determined to make it, but making the move was still a gamble. Soon, we realised it was obviously working, then he started playing for the London Irish first team.’
Declan Danaher was one of the club’s coaches, who had a hand in the recruitment and development of Cunningham-South. The former Exiles flanker said: ‘Declan Kidney (director of rugby) had been sent a video of Chandler. He asked Jon Fisher and I to look and report back. We were back in Declan’s office very quickly. We said that we had to look at this kid. You could see Chandler had something about him. Watching that video, you could quickly see his strengths – ball-carrying and physicality.
‘Chandler was English but living in New Zealand. He wanted an opportunity to come back. He was a raw product. A couple of Premiership teams were after him, but we convinced him to come to Irish. The person who had the biggest influence on him was Jon, who was an academy and transition coach at the time. Les Kiss then gave him an opportunity to play in the Premiership. Irish always gave young lads a chance. I liked Chandler because he always had a big smile on his face. He’s a good lad who was incredibly coachable.’
Following the sad demise of Irish a year ago, Cunningham-South was in demand. Various clubs tried to sign him, with Harlequins winning the tussle for his services. Since making that move, his game has been further enhanced, with an emphasis on physical conditioning and his development as a lineout jumper, which has in turn led to Steve Borthwick identifying him as a possible long-term successor to the great Courtney Lawes at blindside flanker.
Former Wales and Lions prop Adam Jones is one of the coaches at Quins who has relished working with such a formidable figure. He told Mail Sport: ‘He has raw power. He wants to smash people and run over them. When we trained against England last year, Chandler was up against the England pack and he wanted to make a statement. I watched him and thought, “This boy has a bit about him”. He’s six foot five and 120 kilos – and has natural aggression that is hard to find.
‘It’s a big statement, but I think he’s got a bit of (ex All Blacks) Jerome Kaino and Jerry Collins about him. Chandler reminds me of them when they were coming through and those aren’t bad attributes to have! I played with Jerry at the Ospreys and saw how good he was.
On both sides of the equator, his family are overjoyed by his remarkable conversion from a Rippa junior to a breakthrough Test star
Cunningham-South wanted to return to England to play in the Premiership and after a spell at London Irish, now plays for Harlequins
‘Off the field, Chandler is chilled and relaxed. He’s very polite. There is no ego about him. If he keeps working hard, he is going to fly with England. They are going to have one hell of a player on their hands. He’s a massive man, quick and athletic. I wish he was Welsh!’
Jones is right, England have a new sensation. Last weekend, he made his first Test start, scored the opening try in a 52-17 win over Japan in Tokyo and impressed Borthwick by playing through the pain of an early ankle knock. While in the Far East, Cunningham-South had a rare opportunity to spend time with his parents and his sister, who travel to watch him play as often as possible.
On both sides of the equator, his family are overjoyed by this remarkable conversion from a Rippa junior to a breakthrough Test star. ‘When I was in England, people were knocking on my mum’s door in Kent with Press cuttings about Chandler,’ said Caroline. ‘People were coming up to me saying, “You must be Chandler’s mum”. We are incredibly proud of him. He’s been making a name for himself.’