Having a ball: The close bond uniting eight Napier City Rovers on and off the pitch
Max Chretien says sharing accommodation with his Napier City Rovers teammates is ‘awesome’ for team spirit. Neil Reid reports.
The strong bond uniting Napier City Rovers’ National League hopefuls goes well beyond the football pitch.
Since early February, eight members of the Bill Robertson-coached team – who face
The players – who make up most of the new recruits Robertson introduced from outside Hawke’s Bay for the 2024 domestic football season – are split among four units at the holiday park.
That includes brothers Kieran and Ethan Richards sharing a two-room apartment.
Forward Max Chretien – who shares a unit with defender Matt Jones – said the close bonds the group had formed living near one another had “translated on to the field”.
“It’s super-tight,” Chretien said of the bond created by the living arrangements.
“We’ve definitely got to know each other really well. It’s awesome.
“When you’re young, you want to live with your mates. So, I can’t complain at all.
“It’s awesome to come home from work and see Kezza [Kieran Richards] or Jonesy and have a chat to them, go out ... have a yarn or have a joke.
“Eight of us live together, which plays a big role. We see each other every day, we’re similar age groups and we just get along on and off the field. We’re really lucky that we click.”
Napier City Rovers go into Sunday’s clash in fifth spot in the super-congested National League points table.
Having lost Birkenhead United last Saturday 4-2, they are five points off the lead held by Auckland City.
Western Suburbs – over who Chretien’s side had a one-win, one-draw record during the Central League – are in bottom spot with a solitary draw from their first four matches of the National League.
Sunday’s game is a match Napier City Rovers realistically must win to keep dreams alive of a top-two finish and a spot in the National League final. They will also be keen to put on a strong showing after the disappointing performance against Birkenhead United.
Making it into New Zealand Football’s flagship top-tier domestic competition had been Napier City Rovers’ stated aim since the team’s first training session on February 6.
“The boys got it done,” Chretien said.
“We’re thrilled to be in this position to be able to play summer football. And me personally, I’m super-excited to compete at a really high level with this group of boys and see how we do.”
The 24-year-old Chretien played his initial senior football and studied in Christchurch.
He travelled to the US to further his studies in 2022, at the University of San Francisco. Besides playing for the university, he played for the San Francisco Glens who are in the fourth tier of America’s football structure.
After deciding to return to New Zealand, the forward and attacking midfielder signed with Napier City Rovers.
“It seemed like the club was a really good fit for me,” Chretien said.
“[Returning to New Zealand] was a change of lifestyle for sure. New Zealand’s a bit more laid back and easy going, which was a nice change-up for sure.
“And obviously, my family is here and my friends, so it was nice to see them again. It’s good to reconnect with everyone.”
On the football side, he said he had joined a team that clicked personality-wise.
“And then it obviously translates on to the field,” he said.
“It’s a great atmosphere to be a part of, a great club to be a part of. It’s awesome.”
Chretien had a frustrating start to 2024 during the Central League; the competition where Napier City Rovers finished third and secured their National League qualification.
Like his teammates, he put in the hard yards into fitness and conditioning right from the first training session of the year in the build-up to the Central League.
A knee injury suffered during the pre-season meant he missed the first two months of the Central League.
He then made an immediate impact on his return to fitness, scoring in his club debut during a 2-2 draw against Western Suburbs at Bluewater Stadium.
This month, some classy finishing from Chretien had him score in the round-two 2-2 draw against Eastern Suburbs in Auckland. The goal was later a nominee for New Zealand Football’s goal of the week.
“It’s not easy watching because you just want to be a part of it,” Chretien said of the early season layoff.
“Even though the boys and everyone makes you part of it, it’s still not quite the same. You have to have more going on. I’ve been through a lot of injuries, so I kind of know the process.
“So, I leant on my relationships, my work. I started going to the gym doing my rehab, focusing on that ... at the end of the day I got back to it.
“I’m fortunate that I’m fit and ready to play in the National League, which is the most important part of the year, the part of the year that I’ve been most excited about.”
Away from the football pitch, Chretien is an architectural technician working for Napier’s Studio26 Architects.
He said it was an industry that had him “learning something new” daily, including his present focus working on residential designs.
“In terms of design, I just love the whole process from getting a piece of paper and a couple of directions and see where I can go with it,” he said.
“Hopefully, I can do some more cool designs in the next few months in the new year. It’s been really great working with clients, creating homes.”
Watch the Inside the Rovers video series:
Episode One: Back to Work
Episode Two: The Darkest Days
Episode Three: Skin Deep
Episode Four: Good as Gould
Episode Five: The Hard Yards
Episode Six: Leaving a Legacy
Episode Seven: Fun and Games
Episode Eight: Game Day
Episode Nine: The Great Dane
Episode 10: Back to Back
Episode 11: Long Road Back
Episode 12: Total Commitment
Episode 13: The Bravest Boy
Episode 14: Love of the Game
Episode 15: A Rapid Rise
Episode 16: Mixed Emotions
Episode 17: Cup Fever
Episode 18: 50-Year Love Affair
Episode 19: The Music Man
Episode 20: Sammy’s On Fire
Episode 21: A Burning Desire
Episode 22: Cup Heroics
Episode 23: The Captain
Episode 24: On The Road
Episode 25: A Heartbreaker
Episode 26: Oscar’s Big Chance
Episode 27: Fabulous Ferg
Episode 28: Bill and Ben’s Big Day
Episode 29: Better Than Before
Episode 30: The Ice Man
Episode 31: Sharp-shooter’s Return
Episode 32: Statement of Intent
Episode 33: Fronting Up
Episode 34: Video Nasty
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.
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