Kiwis flyer Jordan Rapana doesn't have to look for his own dose of trans-Tasman rivalry.
The Canberra Raiders winger is in camp with the NZ national rugby league side this week, preparing for a showdown with the Australian Kangaroos at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday.
A survivor from last year's ill-fated Rugby League World Cup campaign, which saw the Kiwis dumped by Fiji in the quarter-finals, Rapana, 29, is getting his first taste of new coach Mark Maguire, as he tries to rebuild New Zealand's bruised international reputation in the game.
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But as patriotic as Rapana is over the national side, his allegiance has been tested by sister Tazmin Gray, who will line up for the Australian Jillaroos against the Kiwi Ferns in this weekend's women's fixture - part of a tripleheader between the two countries.
Born in Wellington of Maori, Cook Island and Italian descent, Rapana is one of 10 siblings, with Gray the only one born on the other side of the Tasman.
"She was a little bit torn about who to play for," he says. "She called and asked me, and I said, 'not a question, mate, play for the Kiwi Ferns'.
"I think she sat down with her husband and family, and had a good hard think about it.
"I called her a bit of a dog, but she was born there. I'm proud of her and happy for her that she chose the Aussies, and wish her all the best."
But Rapana has learned better than to offer advice to younger sis, who played among the forwards for Sydney Roosters in the inaugural NRLW Grand Final.
"She just tells me to shut up," he laughs. "I always tell her, 'you need to work on this, you need to do this'.
"But she just says, 'shut up, you're on the wing, you don't know anything', because she's obviously a back-rower.
"She puts me in my place, but every time I get to watch her, I'm very proud. Everyone says she's the best in the family and I just have to take it."
The Kiwis haven't beaten the Kangaroos since 2015, but both sides enter this week's encounter without some of rugby league's greatest players, who are either retired or injured.
Maguire's only previous outing with the NZ side was a loss to England in Denver June, a game Rapana watched from Canberra. Rookies Jamayne Isaako and Ken Maumalo filled the wing spots on that occasion.
"We’ve had a big transition, and a lot of new players and new positions," he said. "If you see our squad now, it's quite young, with a lot of talent.
"Watching the Denver test from the outside, I guess it was a stepping stone. I think he's building something wonderful here and I'm grateful that I can be part of it."
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Join us at 7:30pm Saturday for live updates of the NZ Kiwis vs Australia rugby league test at Mt Smart Stadium.