How All Blacks newbie & Movember are using golf to support men’s health

By Alex Powell

After a year that’s already seen him win a Super Rugby title and earn a test debut, newly-capped All Black Harry Plummer is lending his support to men’s health charity Movember.

Fresh from winning the Super Rugby Pacific competition with the Blues and making his test debut for the All Blacks in Sydney, the 26-year-old is getting behind the Vollē Great New Zealand Tee Off as a means of raising funds for Movember, for whom he is an ambassador.

Across Aotearoa from October 15, more than 180 courses will put two tee times up for auction, where anyone can bid for the chance to play at some of the country’s best golfing destinations.

Every entry will go into the draw for themselves and three mates for a weekend at Rodney District’s Te Arai Links, including an overnight stay and dinner with the Alternative Commentary Collective.

Winning bidders can also opt to donate their tee times to younger players to experience a round, in partnership with Golf New Zealand’s futures initiative.

Plummer has made no secret of his own mental health journey, and the chance to give back to a cause he believes in was something he didn’t think twice about getting behind.

“It’s hugely humbling, because of the amazing work Movember does with men’s mental health,” he told the Herald.

“My whole intention with this was to help people feel more comfortable talking about it.

“I was able to put my money where my mouth was, and talk about my experiences now that I’m in a better place to talk about them. I think we all know the stats, they’re pretty staggering.

“Humbling is the best word I can use. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me or anything. I’m in a really good mental space, but I want people to be aware it can come in different ebbs and flows.

“For me, some of my releases have been family and golf, that’s why partnering with an awesome organisation like Movember is something I’m really passionate about.”

As an organisation, Movember’s efforts are geared specifically towards men’s health. That comes in many forms, notably in mental health, as well as awareness for prostate and testicular cancers, which are both silent killers for Kiwi males.

In 2023, the Vollē Great New Zealand Tee Off raised $77,000 for Movember. This year it’s hoped the event will bring an increase on that figure, as golf increases in popularity.

And as one of the faces of the event, Plummer wants to see as many people get behind the cause as possible.

“When I think of the Vollē Great New Zealand Tee Off, what I’d love to see from it is inclusion.

“Obviously, the fundraising is really important. It gets allocated to some amazing resources in this mental health space.

“When I was helped, it was all about action and taking the first step. It might be a bit outside people’s comfort zone, to know you’re going out to play a bit of golf to work on your mental health.

“But action was always the easiest step for me in trying to get better, and trying to solve the problem. If I saw the involvement levels in golf in November spike, that would be an awesome win for [Movember] and the Vollē Great New Zealand Tee Off as a concept in general.

“To play at Te Arai is an ultimate prize as well. Fingers crossed there’s a really high uptake.”

Like many professional sportspeople in New Zealand, Plummer has been quick to adopt golf as a hobby to help get away from the pressures of his job.

Since the Covid pandemic, golf’s participation rates have risen dramatically. As of February 2024, there was an approximate total of more than 203,000 registered players, and more than 142,000 memberships at Kiwi clubs.

For men in particular, golf has become a social activity as much as a form of exercise.

In Plummer’s case, both the All Blacks and Blues camps have a healthy contingent of golfers, who make use of their days off from rugby by hitting the links.

And while the competitive nature of golf will always be there, Plummer emphasises the benefits extend far beyond what happens on the course.

“I always talk with people that I wish I started playing golf at school,” he said. “Golf wasn’t big when I was at school, it was something I never really paid attention to.

“My dad’s played golf for a long time, but I never played with him. It was only when I left school and felt I didn’t have anything else to do, so I wanted to give it a try. I fell in love with it straight away.

“The ages of people out there now is awesome, the youth in golf is growing. It can be serious, and it can be really competitive, but it can be really fun.

“You don’t have to be the best golfer, there’s so many different ways you can enjoy it.”

Golfers can bid on their preferred club and tee time via GalaBid HERE!

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission