Dow opts for another year

As a rugby front-rower Tim Dow has struggled to fit the mould.
For a start he has a habit of scoring tries, secondly he runs much too fast and third he has this alter-ego who can kick goals and play as a centre.
So it sort of fits that Tim Dow has bucked convention as an Irish passport holding-first-class-provincial-rugby player, and decided to stay here and play for another year and not ply his trade in Europe. Dow turned his back on several lucrative offers from English-based rugby clubs, and another significant offer from Wellington and signed a year long extension to his Northland contract this week.
So as many of his playing colleagues look to cash in, Dow has decided to sit tight and battle on with the Northland rugby team in New Zealand.
On the eve of a critical Air New Zealand NPC clash with Southland, it was an outcome that will no doubt help lift the spirits in the Northland Rugby Union ranks, but it wasn't a decision that necessarily came easy.
In the end though, Dow still felt like he had some unfinished business in his home province, a factor NRU officials hope will also help them retain most of the existing squad as well.
While most Northland players have signed on for another year at least, there are several still wavering. "It was the decision I wanted to make, but I had to make sure I had thought of everything before I did it," Dow said.
"There has been quite a few opportunities to be frank. There's definitely plenty of opportunities all around the world for rugby players and when you have an Irish passport there's even more," he said.
"I have played in every game for Northland since the losing streak started, and also a few before it started, and I am pretty determined not to go out in a losing mode."
Dow, as he has done for every championship match so far this season, is named in the starting line-up for Sunday's fixture. But there have been a handful of changes from the side that lost to Auckland last week. Flanker Allen Tubbs is back at openside flanker, skipper David Holwell will start at first five eighths after resting, Jared Going is back at centre, Fijian Isoa Neivua on the wing and Daniel Bowden named at fullback.
The game, with entry free to children 14 and under, kicks-off at 2.30pm on Sunday at the ITM Stadium in Whangarei.