Jackson Garden-Bachop of the Wellington Lions celebrates team mates try during Wellington v Southland NPC match at Porirua Park, Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday 7 September 2024. Mandatory credit: Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz Photo: Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz
Jackson Garden-Bachop was never supposed to play for finalists Wellington this NPC season, but a family tragedy brought him home and he believes he wouldn't have coped anywhere else in the world.
In June, Garden-Bachop's younger brother and fellow professional rugby player, Connor, died aged 25 following a medical event in Christchurch.
Connor Garden-Bachop of Wellington and Jackson Garden-Bachop of Wellington after winning the 2022 NPC Rugby Final against Canterbury in Christchurch. Copyright photo: John Davidson / www.photosport.nz Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2022 www.photosport.nz
It wasn't the first time death had rocked the family with Garden-Bachop's mum Sue dying from leukaemia in 2008.
Losing Connor hit Jackson hard and he returned to Wellington from playing overseas.
He then signed to play for the Lions in the NPC, helping them finish the regular season as top qualifiers and helping them seal a home final this weekend against Bay of Plenty, where Garden-Bachop will bring up his 100th game for the province.
The Garden-Bachop brothers won an NPC title together for Wellington in 2022 and Jackson said being home has helped him grieve.
"I'm just so grateful that I've been able to be back in Wellington through this time. I wasn't planning on being here, I shouldn't be here playing my 100th but Connor brought me home. It was all for a reason. There's no other place that I would have been able to get through this period of time than at home with my friends and my family," Garden-Bachop said.
"I have a lot of close friends in the Wellington Lions, a lot of those guys I've known since I was young, they knew Connor since he was young. Playing good rugby and having fun playing rugby is just a beautiful by-product of being home with my mates."
Connor Garden-Bachop played for the Highlanders in 2024. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Garden-Bachop, who has signed to play Super Rugby Pacific for Moana Pasifika next year, will become the first Wellington centurion since former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga.
"It's a pretty surreal feeling that it's come up and that it's come up on the day of the final. I was actually at the game when I was young fella watching Tana in his 100th game and I remember thinking how cool that was," Garden-Bachop said.
"I remember when he got carried off by a few of his team-mates just thinking how cool it would be to be on the field and experiencing that.
"It's been a tough one being the week of the final because obviously that's the most important thing, but reflecting on 100 games is special."
A proud Wellingtonian, Garden-Bachop dreamed of representing the province as a kid, but never envisioned becoming a centurion.
"I was not thinking about 100 games. I always wanted to be a Wellington Lion, but even when you become one you don't think you'll play 100 games for the Lions.
"It's one of those things that's crept up. I remember my 50th back in 2018 and that was awesome but even then I wasn't thinking 100 was possible.
"Then I went overseas a couple of years ago and I didn't know if I would be back or not and I thought there would be no chance I'd be playing 100. I'm extremely grateful to be here and I love this team so to be able to play for them 100 times is amazing."
Jackson Garden-Bachop of the Wellington Lions looks to pass during Wellington v Southland NPC match at Porirua Park, in Wellington on 7 September 2024. Photo: Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz
Wellington are favourites to win Saturday's final against Bay of Plenty after losing just two games this season and Garden-Bachop believes having the right mix of youth and experience has been the key to their success.
"The balance of squad that we have, the experience right through the team, one to 15, and even on the bench. The likes of Matt Proctor, Brad Shields have come back, Bus (Julian Savea) he's massively experienced, Du Plessis Kirifi is a hugely experienced leader now for all of us.
"Young guys like Peter Lakai (who will make his All Blacks debut against Japan on Saturday night) and Riley Higgens, they're growing into more of a leadership role the more confident they get and the better they play.
"There's leaders right through this group and also the culture we've built. The last two or three years we've been playing well but the culture has been building for four or five years and it's in a pretty good place now where anyone that comes into the environment knows what we're about and what they have to do to make sure that we're successful," Garden-Bachop said.
Wellington host Bay of Plenty in the NPC final at Sky Stadium at 3:05pm on Saturday.
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