RUGBY - From Big Apple to bigger stakes

When it comes to spicing up your rugby resume, mentioning a playing spell in New York is not exactly the best way to alert the talent scouts.
On the scale of sporting significance, the New York Old Blues rugby team are but nuisance value when chucked up against banner teams like the New York Jets and the New York Yankees.
So it is difficult to know what to make of Marty Veale, the latest Northland rugby signing, a 31-year-old lock forward who has just arrived back in New Zealand via a short stint in New York and a two-year contract in Japan.
Especially as Veale has yet to make his debut in the Joe Morgan Memorial club rugby championship, and probably won't until next week when he finally makes firm contact with the promoted Mid Western rugby team.
"Rugby in the States is different. The level is not that high - probably club level if it's lucky - just because they don't play the game much. In Japan I was with Kubota in the top league, which was very enjoyable," Veale said.
"But this chance with Northland came to me from Mark Anscombe. I would like to think I have got a few more years left in the game, and the approach from Mark was just good timing really," he said.
"This is now an opportunity to do something for a small community ... maybe. I sort of kept in contact with (Northland prop) Tony Coughlan."
It was at North Harbour in 2004-05 where Veale and Coughlan were teammates, coached by Anscombe.
Before then Veale had been a promising junior prospect in Canterbury, where he managed to break into the provincial ranks before injury saw him bypassed by the likes of Chris Jack.
His foray into the club scene will be brief with Northland squad members soon to be withdrawn from club action in favour of representative preparations.
"It looks like my first game will be against Marist, which will be interesting."
The impending departure of representative players is giving the battle for a semifinal spot some real urgency in the Joe Morgan Memorial competition now. But tomorrow, on form, there is only one game of real significance, that between Mid Northern and Hora Hora at Hora Hora.
In other games, Kamo host Mid Western, Marist travel to Dargaville to play the Sharks, Hikurangi meet Waipu at Hikurangi and Old Boys head south to play Wellsford.