Bay of Plenty Ngawha player Jesse Mason-Grant in action for Whakarewarewa during the Baywide Premier competition. Photo / File
Bay of Plenty Ngawha player Jesse Mason-Grant in action for Whakarewarewa during the Baywide Premier competition. Photo / File
Rotorua's Jesse Mason-Grant is a man on a mission.
The Bay of Plenty Ngāwhā hooker faces a tough challenge when his development side takes on Auckland development on Saturday.
He has his sights set on not only performing well and winning that match but also securing a brighter future for his family, hoping his performances for the development side will be noticed by the Bay of Plenty Steamers selectors.
Mason-Grant has long been a leader for Whakarewarewa in the Baywide club competition and is enjoying his time with the Bay of Plenty side, despite having to juggle the commitment with a fulltime job and spending time with his family.
"Playing rugby as a career has always been a dream. It is something that I still strive for and it's something I'd like to be doing to provide for my family. It's something that I love doing and if I get the opportunity to do that, then that would be awesome."
However, Mason-Grant says the support of his family and partner Angelijah Gardiner has made the journey easier.
"It has been challenging, I'm not going to lie. It is a lot of sacrifice, especially being able to spend time with my son. But my partner, she is awesome. She is holding it down for us and doing a stunning job of looking after our son."
The 22-year-old says his son Ivar William Mason-Grant will celebrate his first birthday on Sunday, giving him extra motivation on the field.
"I hope he will play rugby like his dad one day. He will probably be better at it than me. It's his first birthday on Sunday. So, I better put on a performance for him."
Whakarewarewa's Jesse Mason-Grant in action against Tauranga Sports. Photo / File
Mason-Grant said the Ngāwhā forward pack had been working hard in preparation for the game against Auckland.
"The boys are definitely holding it down. I think the pack that we have has got some good height and size in the front row. We've got some fast ball carriers and good defenders. It's almost like the perfect eight. We've got some good talent."
Bay of Plenty Ngāwhā coach Culum Retallick said he was happy with his side's 32-28 win over North Harbour at the weekend.
"There was a heavy wind on the day and we kicked really well. Some of our positives were our exits [out of the 22m] and our attack in their 22m was really good.
"We got a little bit caught in the middle of the field sometimes, playing too much rugby, but other than that we were pretty happy and our set piece was pretty good this week.
"The team is coming together well we've been going for three weeks now and everyone has got the understanding of what's going on. Guys have to play well each week if they want to play and take their opportunities."
The game on Saturday is part of a triple header with three Bay of Plenty representative sides playing at Tauranga Domain. The Bay of Plenty Toa side will take on Waikato and the Bay of Plenty Volcanix will start their Farah Palmer Cup season against Counties Manukau.
1pm: Bay of Plenty Toa v Waikato, field one. 2.20pm: Farah Palmer Cup, Bay of Plenty Volcanix v Counties Manukau, field one. 2.30pm: Bay Ngāwhā v Auckland Development, field two.
