Rugby: North Harbour star happy to dock at Currie

The 25-year-old kiwi full back/wing has arrived in the Capital with a strong rugby pedigree extending back to a grandfather, Gibby Abercrombie, a Herioter who gained seven caps from 1949-50 before emigrating to New Zealand.

"I'm told my grandfather's photograph is on the clubhouse wall at Goldenacre and that is certainly something I look forward to seeing," said Abercrombie whose own impressive playing credentials include representing the crack North Harbour provincial side ten times.

Also, Abercrombie has turned out 82 times for the prolific North Shore club in Auckland where coaches are All Black legends Wayne "Buck" Shelford and Franco Botica.

With such strong family connections a playing trip to Scotland was always on the cards for this commerce and marketing graduate who also holds a Bsc in Statistics and Geography. However, as he revealed, the odyssey has not been without its misgivings.

"When my North Harbour colleague Ryan Wilson, who is back for another season at Currie, set up this opportunity one of the first things I did was measure the distance from freezing cold Invercargill on the southern tip of New Zealand to the South Pole.

"Then I measured the distance between Edinburgh and the North Pole and found it was closer! If I am prepared for the temperature dropping then the welcome at Currie has certainly been warm. They are a club exactly like North Shore even if, as the second oldest in New Zealand team formed in 1873, we are a good bit older than Currie (founded 1970).

"I have found I always play my best rugby at clubs where the local community are very much involved and look forward to doing the same at Currie."

Abercrombie notched his first try for Currie in last weekend's 32-32 draw with Dundee and although as champions they must regard that result as points dropped the feeling is that a corner is about to be turned especially after 29-32 opening-day defeat at Melrose.

"To make my Currie debut in the home of seven-a-sides and with a bagpipe festival taking place in a nearby park was a bit surreal but a wonderful feeling nonetheless. Unfortunately we just missed out and while we scored plenty of points against Dundee, too, the feeling is that we just need to stop leaking so many scores and we'll be on our way.

"We'd better because I've already noted that coach Ally Donaldson doesn't take that sort of record lightly!"

Abercrombie follows in the footsteps of the likes of prop Tim Fairbrother who also represented North Harbour and is aware that former All Blacks captain Todd Blackadder helped out with some coaching at Malleny Park when he was playing for Edinburgh.

Indications are that Hayden, who lists among his hobbies "spearfishing" is ideally qualified to make a strong contribution with plenty of experience to draw on.

"During my career I've been lucky enough to play with, and against, the likes of All Blacks Ma'a Nonu, Luke McAllister, Kieran Reid, Corey Jane and Jose Gear but I was never one to commit full-time to rugby.

"For a spell I was the only member of the North Harbour squad who held down a job outside rugby and if I missed out on selection for the province's win in our top domestic competition for the Ranfurly Shield as well as a couple of defences I'm happy to have tried to get a balance between sport and a career.

"Travelling overseas was always on my schedule with rugby a great vehicle to see a bit of the world and where better, for me, than Scotland? I certainly intend to do this trip justice and try to help Currie retain their title."