Rugby: Maisey's sojourn ends with bells on

By CHRIS RATTUE

Derek Maisey turned a blind eye to the book on how to make it to the top of New Zealand rugby.

The Tokoroa-raised Maisey has become an unlikely star in the front-running Waikato side, winning major notices for his three-try performance against Canterbury - the province which gave him an NPC start.

Yet earlier in his career when Maisey - who turns 26 next month - got the offer many footballers can only dream about, he said no thanks and headed to Japan.

Professional rugby had opened its door when Canterbury offered him a provincial contract. Even though first five-eighths like Andrew Mehrtens and Aaron Mauger were ahead of Maisey, it was still an offer most would have found hard to refuse.

However, refuse Maisey did. He instead sent a CV to an agent and when a club near Tokyo came calling, Maisey followed his yearn - and the yen - to see a bit of the world and clear a $20,000 student loan.

Maisey ended up on a voyage of discovery. He got a taste for Japanese culture, and also spent a month in Europe, including a spell with his professional polo playing cousins Robert and Jason Watson in Amsterdam.

Hours of down time in Japan saw him polish his PlayStation skills. Wiping out the debt was easy - Maisey earned $150,000 (minus an agent's cut) for last season.

He returned home and settled in Morrinsville, aiming to resurrect his rugby career. But for an injury to All Black first five-eighths David Hill, however, Maisey may have had a lot of bench time and remained a name that only rung distant bells in Mooloo land.

"In Waikato, I'm the bloke who has appeared from nowhere. People are always asking me where I've come from," says Maisey.

His dairy farmer father Jim, a stalwart of Tokoroa rugby, played a handful of games as a prop for Waikato 30-odd years ago.

Maisey's first claim to fame was in the 1994 Waikato schoolboy side. He then headed to Lincoln University to do a resource management degree. He failed to knuckle down and took a year out doing farmwork in the North Canterbury town of Oxford, where he played at centre for the local club and the little union's colts side.

It was then back to the city, university studies, and playing for Canterbury University. Maisey made the NPC side in 2000 - playing four matches - before heading to Japan and then back to Waikato.

Maisey has dedicated himself to reviving his rugby career, with 6am gymnasium starts to the day. The one obvious part missing from his game is reliable goalkicking - his No. 8 brother Peter does the duties for Morrinsville - but apart from that, his clever running has worked a treat behind a dominant Waikato pack.

"I was a bit sceptical about the Waikato set up after five years in the Canterbury system, but I've been impressed," said Maisey.

"I was always quietly confident I could make it."