Rugby: Hands-on approach rewarded

Tom Bywater puts on a demonstration for a client while on the job as a physiotherapist at Hawke's Bay Hospital. Photo / Warren Buckland

Napier Old Boys Marist premier rugby team lock Tom Bywater gave his fiance an early wedding present this week.

Bywater, who will marry former team physio Carla Cameron of Havelock North at a Hawke's Bay winery on Saturday, became this season's first weekly winner of the McDonald's-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award. This followed a player-of-the-match performance in Hawke's Bay Insurances NOBM's 33-29 Tui Nash Cup first round win against MAC at Flaxmere's Ron Giorgi Park.

When quizzed if he produced the display to enhance his chances of securing leave from this weekend's round two fixture against Central at Napier's Park Island for his wedding Bywater laughed.

"While Central are always tough I'm confident the boys will cope well in my absence. There's plenty of depth to cover and the fact it's Migao's [Lauano's] 200th should fire them up ... Migao is a club figurehead," Bywater said.

Originally from England, Bywater, 27, arrived in New Zealand at the age of 16 and attended Nelson College.

"It was pretty social and when I went to Otago University to study physiotherapy I played league as a frontrower for four years and for three of those years I was in the Otago rep team," Bywater explained.

Upon his arrival in the Bay, he linked up with the NOBM club and made his premier debut in 2014 after playing for the development grade team.

"It's a pretty good club. I really enjoyed playing at the Spillane Cup tournament in Hamilton this year because we played against some of the big boys up north. I also enjoy the team bonding camps the boys have," Bywater said.

"We were the only team to get the bonus point for four tries in the first round but we still have to keep working hard with the aim of improving all the time."

A centre during his younger days, Bywater, was contacted by one of the Hawke's Bay rep team managers last year and hasn't discounted the chances of representative selection.

"I'll play to the best of my ability and see what happens."

For the past 18 months Bywater has been working as a physiotherapist at Hawke's Bay Hospital. He enjoys talking sport with clients.

"Our team has a pretty good physio but there are times when the physio is away and I'm called upon to do a bit of strapping. I'm usually pretty obliging ... anything to keep the team on the paddock."

During the off-season Bywater got into triathlons and this is a sport his fiance, who he met during his first year at Otago University, is into.

"I'm enjoying Hawke's Bay and I could be here for a while. It's very similar to Nelson but busier," he added.

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union's commercial manager Jay Campbell is rapt McDonalds have jumped on board one of the union's grass roots projects. McDonalds will supply prizes for the weekly award winners as well as the overall winner who will be announced at the end of the competition.

Best & fairest:

* NOBM v MAC: 3, Tom Bywater (NOBM); 2, Ramiha Smiler (MAC); 1, Colin Hokianga (MAC).

* Pirate v Tamatea: 3, Tama Hutana (Tamatea); 2, Ted Symes (Pirate); 1, Pouri Rakete-Stones (Pirate).

* Clive v Hastings: 3, Tianua Poto (Clive); 2, Lucas Goodin (Clive); 1, Ben Hamelink (Hastings).

* Tech v Central: 3, Ben Carpenter (Central); 2, Scott Mogford (Tech); 1, Levi Guildford (Tech).

* Taradale v Havelock North: 3, Kaleb Whakataka (Taradale); 2, Phil McRoberts (Havelock North); 1, Joe Simeon (Taradale).