Shae Tucker signed up for North Otago this season - and he has already had some adventure.
Tucker has been to the back blocks and beyond.
A University of Otago student, studying accounting, Tucker has not just been bean counting lately.
He joined North Otago after club play finished in Dunedin and his first role with the side was a three-match tour of Canada. Then, last week, he went to Ruatoria as North Otago played East Coast.
It has been a wide eye-opening for the former Napier Boys' High School pupil.
``Canada was a lot of fun. Not just with the rugby but with the experience. It was really primitive rugby. They were the biggest guys I had played against,'' he said.
``From 1 through to 15 they were the biggest men. Their forward packs were massive. But the back play was pretty atrocious.''
North Otago grabbed a win, a loss and a draw on the tour and Tucker said it was great to tour the country, one he had always wanted to go to but did not think it would be on a rugby trip.
Tucker said playing in Ruatoria was an interesting experience.
``We had a couple of locals who came along on horseback and watched from the sideline.''
Tucker, a midfield back who turned 21 last Monday, scored a hat-trick against East Coast as the side racked up a convincing 48-8 win.
The victory put the team in the top four of the Heartland competition but it faces a key game tomorrow against Wairarapa Bush in Oamaru.
Tucker, who plays for University in Dunedin club play, said the Heartland competition was probably the equivalent of club rugby in Dunedin.
With North Otago he has assumed a bit more of a leadership role, which he said was was enjoying.
Like the Mitre 10 Cup, which is playing under trial rules around the breakdown, the Heartland Championship has had new rules forced upon it. These are around point-scoring, with tries going to six points and penalties going to two.
Tucker was not a fan of the new scoring rules.
``I've seen one kick at goal in four games. I'm really against that, do not like it. The whole facet of goal-kicking has just gone.
``I can see what they are trying to do and reward teams going for tries. But maybe they should have put the points up for the try and kept the penalties to three. A lot of the penalties are just quick tap and gos.
``You do not get that traditional reward for territory and possession. It can be hard to get your head around. You can be winning by eight and think you are ahead but in reality you aren't.''
Tucker drove down from Ruatoria to Napier after the game last Saturday to celebrate his 21st birthday with family and was planning a bit of a celebration tomorrow.
He joined up with North Otago through his association with coach Barry Stevens, who coached him at Otago under-19.
He wanted to play for North Otago because it was a longer programme than if he played for Otago B.
He did not mind the travel and journeyed up twice a week for trainings.
``Over the last couple of years I've been training with the Otago squad and it's been Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, which is a big ask. Now it's just Tuesday and Thursday, so although you've got more travelling to do, you get more time to yourself.''
His goal was to play for pay and he wanted to play for Otago.
He was selected for the final trial of the New Zealand School side in 2013, alongside the likes of Akira Ioane and Damian McKenzie, but missed out through a torn hamstring.
