Rugby a form of release for hard worker
FIVE questions for Upper Clutha lock Matt Ward .— Favourite rugby memory?
It would have to be winning the 2018 Central Otago final. We beat Cromwell in Wanaka. I’d played for Maniototo for three seasons beforehand, and we’d lost two finals and a semifinal, so it was nice to finally get into a final and win one. That was a pretty special team.
Hardest opponent?
Ben Maxwell, from Cromwell, would be up there. He’s bloody handy and a really good leader.
Another one would have to be Sam Pringle, who played for Maniototo. He was just hard, and into everything. He could ruin your game singlehandedly, ha ha.
Which rugby player do you look up to and why?
Growing up in Southland, Jimmy Cowan was a big inspiration for me. I was an Edendale boy, and he was just up the road in Mataura, and he just proved you could do anything from down there. And Jamie Mackintosh was another good Southland man.
What do you do to relax?
All I seem to do is work.
Rugby’s sort of my release. But I’m quite into my hunting. I like to chase a few roaring red deer around, and I will heading down home for duckshooting.
If Matt Ward is cooking, what are we eating?
I’m by myself up here at Mt Aspiring Station, so whatever I’m cooking has got to be edible, ha ha. I reckon I do a pretty good spag bol or nachos. If I had people coming round, that would be pretty safe.