Today marks Whakarewarewa captain and Bay of Plenty Steamers squad member Doug Edwards' first day as a full-time professional rugby player.
Today marks Whakarewarewa captain and Bay of Plenty Steamers squad member Doug Edwards' first day as a full-time professional rugby player.
Doug Edwards becomes a full-time professional for the BoP Steamers today. He also has a big weekend ahead, leading Whakarewarewa into the premier club rugby semifinal, writes Ben Guild.
Whakarewarewa captain Doug Edwards will lead his chargers into action in a semifinal against Tauranga Sports at Tauranga Domain on Saturday,but for a day at least that milestone will have to wait.
Today marks the 30-year-old's first day of full-time training with the Bay of Plenty Steamers, and a major step on the road to claiming a first ITM Cup jersey. Edwards has taken the road less travelled to the professional rugby ranks, winding from the Whakarewarewa under-fives through to a stint overseas with family, and then to Otago University.
A return home saw him join the Whakarewarewa premiers in 2010, leading to a job as a physiotherapist at Rotorua Hospital and a Chiefs Development campaign in 2012. This was followed by his selection in this year's Steamers ITM Cup squad.
Edwards is thrilled by his selection but believes the Bay would be better served by a Steamers squad more representative of the entire province.
"There were five [Whakarewarewa players] in the trials and there probably could have been two or three more that could have had the chance," Edwards said.
"Obviously we are happy with two of us going through but we'd like a few more to help our community and also from the other Rotorua teams around here too." First five-eighth Te Rangi Fraser - one of three East Coast players to make huge impressions for the Rotorua-based side in the premier division this season - is seen by some as particularly unlucky to have missed out.
"He's grown a lot this year and been in form for pretty much the whole season," Edwards said.
