Derek Browning is the new man behind Northland's mascot, Tane the Taniwha, and he reckons he brings passion and entertainment to the job.
"I can't sleep at night. I'm already thinking about what I can do for the first home game," Mr Browning said.
He cast off any negativity surroundingtalk he had been set upon by an unruly mob of Waikato youngsters during the Ranfurly Shield Challenge last weekend at Waikato Stadium.
Waikato resident Edith Crispe voiced her concerns in a Waikato paper and reported seeing the Taniwha "bombarded with missiles" by a group of "miscreants".
She said the young spectators continually bombarded the Taniwha with missiles as he walked up and down exhorting his team on. It was Mr Browning's debut performance as Tane and he loved it. "Make no mistake, I went there for one thing and that was the Shield. The reaction from the Shield holders was what I expected," Mr Browning said.
"I was never in any danger and had a security guard with me. It was all done in good spirits. I had an absolute ball."
He described the event as his "bungy jump" and said it was a massive adrenaline rush.
Tane walked the sidelines during the game, much to the delight of hundreds of Northland supporters who made the trip south to the heart of Mooloo country. The Shield holders withstood a fierce challenge from a fired-up Northland side in the first week of the ITM Cup, winning 31-22 in a clash a lot closer than the scoreboard indicated.
For years Mr Browning, a former Northland colts player, has wanted to don the impressive Tane outfit and walk the sidelines generating crowd support. "I'm passionate about rugby and I'm passionate about Northland so this is awesome. It's not an easy job but I bring new passion and I want to entertain the crowd."
Southland Stags take on the Taniwha on Saturday at Toll Stadium.
