Irish prop Oliver Jager's investment in furthering his rugby education in Christchurch has paid off with promotion to this year's Canterbury provincial squad.

Three days after Oliver Jager completed his exams at Dublin's Blackrock College he enrolled in Canterbury rugby's equivalent of primary education, the first step towards last weekend's provincial debut.

MARTIN HUNTER/GETTY IMAGES Canterbury assistant coach Jason Ryan was pivotal in managing Oliver Jager's switch to the front row.

While his classmates were embarking on a traditional end of year blow out in Spain, Jager left Brian O'Driscoll's finishing school intent on enhancing his sporting experience in Christchurch at the International High Performance Unit at Rugby Park.

"All my friends were all going to Magaluf to have fun. I wasn't keen to go there to be honest. I said to my parents 'Instead of doing this, is it alright if I go over here?' They were fine because they saw it as I'm doing something other pi**ing up every weekend," he explained.

Jager paid for a six-week stay at the unit in 2013, opted to return the following year and, after gaining a place in the academy and then development contract for Canterbury, the converted loose forward made his NPC debut against Auckland as a tighthead.

PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES Canterbury, Crusaders and All Black props Joe Moody and Owen Franks have helped Oliver Jager's development since he arrived in Christchurch in 2013.

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Now 21, Jager played 22 minutes off the bench at AMI Stadium on Saturday, a timeframe that represented the fulfilment of a long-held childhood ambition.

Perhaps surprisingly, the 1.92-metre, 117kg prop was already aware of Canterbury's enduring rivalry with Auckland.

"Everyone growing up wanted to play for Leinster or Connaught, I always remember when I was younger I'd always get up [with Harm, his father] about half five, six in the morning just to watch Canterbury play.

"And you'd think 'Imagine how cool it would be to play for that team?'. I never actually thought it would actually happen because of the amount of players here and the player base that New Zealand has."

A season-ending knee injury early during the club season with New Brighton in 2014 shaped as another impediment but rather than return home, Jager rehabbed in Christchurch, an attitude that led to a place Canterbury's academy system last year.

"When I got that place I thought 'Jesus, this could actually happen'. It was a bloody cool feeling at the weekend. It was a dream come true."

Although his goal was to play for Canterbury, Jager only thought his time at Rugby Park would essentially be a learning experience.

He arrived as a No 8 but after discussions with academy coach - and now Canterbury assistant - Jason Ryan he decided to focus on the front row.

"There's always a shortage of tighthead props so we worked out a plan. He hooked into some club footy and he's never looked back," said Ryan.

"He's got a long way to go, the biggest thing that impressed me was his attitude to actually want to do it."

Jager initially found the transition an uncomfortable experience despite playing prop for Blackrock's 1st XV.

"I was getting popped every time, pretty much shi**ed on in every scrum," he said of his time at Colts level in Christchurch.

When he returned from the knee injury to prop for New Brighton in Division 1 last season he also realised his technique needed remedial work.

"I had God knows how many one-on-ones with Jase [Ryan]. I went to watch the Crusaders train, I'd listen, watch clips. I'd watch Owen Franks playing for the All Blacks, I'd watch Crusaders games."

Franks was nominated as his mentor when Jager joined the academy while Wyatt Crockett, Joe Moody and Alex Hodgman offered a different slant when he spent the pre-season with the Crusaders.

"The looseheads help you a lot because they feel what I'm doing right or wrong," he said.

You learn so much being around them."