At last, Stags come calling for Howden
CENTRAL Southland farmer Brenton Howden thought country rugby might be his lot.
The 27yearold has lined up in Southland’s senior club rugby ranks for 10 years now. And his representative rugby honours had been restricted to the Southland Country team.
During the past decade Howden’s name floated in and out of Stags selection talk, but nothing eventuated.
That was until a phone call last week with news there was a contract for the loose forwardcumlock to sign.
The Stags coaching group wanted him as part of the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup campaign.
The signing was one for the club rugby battlers who might think their opportunity has already passed.
‘‘It has always been a goal of mine to play for the Stags, but I did think Country rugby might be it for me.
‘‘I think it is just the hard working paying off. It shows you don’t have to be a super star from [Southland] Boys’ High or from up north to make it.’’
For the past two years Howden wasn’t involved in the Stags’ widertraining setup but this year was invited back at the start of the club season.
The dream of playing for the Stags prompted him to take on a big workload this season — Tuesdays and Thursdays in particular.
It started at 5am when he would head from the family farm just north of Winton, which he manages, to travel to Invercargill for an early morning gym session.
It would then be back out to the farm for a day’s work, before travelling to Gore for training with his EasternNorthern Barbarians team.
The day would finish with Howden arriving home at about 10pm.
‘‘They have been big days, but it is all worth it now,’’ he said.
While the Stags contract had been a big step forward for the former Central Southland College pupil, he was far from putting his feet up.
‘‘The next goal now is to push for regular game time,’’ Howden, who started his club playing days with Midlands, said.
He also had something else to sort now he was bracing himself for three and a bit months as a professional rugby player.
‘‘I’ll need to get another shepherd sorted to cover me during lambing.’’
First, has the club season to finish with the Barbarians. With two roundrobin games to play the Barbarians sit fifth, three competition points behind PiratesOld Boys.
His club team mates were delighted when Howden broke the news to them last week that he had been signed by the Stags.
‘‘I think it just showed them that if I can do it, they can as well.’’