FORMER KIWIS STAR SUPPORTING AUSSIE THIS WEEK

February 2: He's copping plenty of good-natured grief from his former Waikato rugby mates but Daryl Halligan is still bristling with pride in Mount Maunganui this week.

Sydney-based Halligan has been watching eldest daughter Devon compete for the Australian under-21 surf lifesaving team in the DHL International Surf Challenge.

Despite playing 20 tests for the Kiwis rugby league team after his 1991 code switch, wasn't concerned about his daughter pulling on green and gold.

"One of my mates, (former Waikato lock) Steve Gordon, reckons she's got a dingo top on!" Halligan laughed. "But she's 18 now though and she decides where her allegiances lie these days. We've got a very Kiwi house but the kids have all grown up in Australia so we don't throw any pressure at them and they make their own decisions."

Halligan Jnr is an accomplished surf swimmer, tall and lean like her father. She competes for the Manly club in Sydney, and is helped her Australian team dominate Monday's first test against their Kiwi rivals and teams from Canada, Great Britain and Japan.

She's also represented New South Wales at agegroup netball, but it's been in surf lifesaving that she's really developed, delighted to be contributing to the country of her birth.

"It's going really well - this is my first time competing over here but I'd love to do it a bit more," Devon said.  "I've lived in Aussie all my life so it wasn't a hard call to make myself available for them but there's always a little bit of Kiwi in me."

Daryl Halligan, born in Taupo, is a former North Sydney and Canterbury Bulldog sharp-shooter who gets across the ditch regularly with his commentary work for Sky TV.

He's also a kicking coach for several NRL sides and worked with the All Blacks under former coach John Mitchell during the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

All four Halligan kids - Devon, 16-year-old Cooper, Bronte, 14, and 10-year-old Inde - have been involved in surf lifesaving, although Daryl still has hopes one of them might one day pull on a black top.

"Devon's had many times watching sport cheering for New Zealand against Australia but now she's fortunate enough to compete for them.

"We had about 30 relatives and friends here (on Monday) but they couldn't quite bring themselves to cheer for Australia.. We were cheering instead for Devon."

Devon is also competing at this weekend's Lion Foundation Surf League in Mount Maunganui, having been drafted into the Gisborne team for the interprovincial event.

Media Release on behalf of Surf Life Saving New Zealand