Rugby: Little prop with plenty of heart

Clive prop Nathan Bruce on the job as a plasterer for Atlas Fibrous Plaster Co. Photo / Warren Buckland

Nathan Bruce reckons his Clive club is a hard one to retire from.

"There aren't too many frontrowers so I have to keep coming back. I remember a couple of years ago, when my wife and I went to Wellington for work, but I travelled back on weekends to try and help them out," the loosehead prop says.

That's how committed Bruce, 33, has been to the Farndon Park-based club since his premier debut in 2001. He is still regarded as one of the better No1s in the comp and on Saturday produced a player-of-the-match performance in K9 Petfoods Clive's 22-15 Maddison Trophy third round win against Tamatea.

This saw Bruce become the 12th weekly winner as the battle for the Tui-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award continued.

"Some opposing props look at me and think I'm a bit too small for the frontrow. But you don't play with the likes of Alex Tuhi, Orcades Crawford and Sona Taumalolo without learning a thing or two," Bruce says, referring to a former Magpies trio of which the latter two have played at international level.

"Big Al [Tuhi] always had time for you. I've learnt heaps off him over the years."

Bruce, who played for the Clive colts after leaving Karamu High School, where he coaches at F grade level these days, says one of his best mates, Clive lock Sven Hogenesch, is another of the reasons he is still playing at premier level.

"Sven and I started at the same time and we keep each other going."

While he believes few opposing props have got the better of him, Bruce, who has played in all three frontrow positions over the years, says he has plenty of respect for former Magpie Tom Symes who still has the occasional game for Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports and former Pirate, Magpies and Highlanders player Clint Newland.

A father of three daughters, Bruce, says Tamatea and Clive battles are always tough and Saturday's continued the tradition.

"A lot of their players are either related to blokes in our team or good mates so it's a game we never want to lose."

"We're trying to keep building. If we can get better we might be able to attract more players to the club," Bruce says.

He has an extra incentive to return for another premier season next year. Should Bruce play all six remaining games this season and the first four next year he will reach the 200 game mark.

"I've had a Nash Cup title but I'm still chasing a Maddison Trophy winner's medal. We came second to Havelock in 2008 and in 2005 we lost to Pirates in the semifinals, when they kept kicking the ball for Karl Mudzamba to run on to and nobody could catch him," he recalls.

A plasterer with Atlas Fibrous Plaster Co for the past 13 years, Bruce, says he enjoys catching up with opposing players from different trades on the job.

"I've lost a few pies over the years with different bets but it's good to meet the guys and see what they are like off the field."