A family legacy continues

RUGBY by KATIE FARMAN
When Hayden Scott walked out onto the field yesterday he was full of pride.
For the 11-year-old rugby player was treading the same path his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had done before him.
A path to family honour. A path to family sporting history.
"It's quite special," Hayden told the Daily Post. "Dad's told me heaps of factors about him [grandad] and this place."
Hayden was in Rotorua as part of the Western District Rugby Club under-12 boys team from Canberra, who are touring the upper North Island. He was joined by his father Tony Scott and a tour party made up of 40 players - including Wallaby first five-eighth Stephen Larkham's nephew Luke Morrison - 41 parents and 16 siblings.
The journey to the Sulphur City was also an opportunity for Hayden to visit Marist St Michaels club rooms and see first hand where his father and grandfather Paul Scott began their own rugby careers.
Tony Scott played under-19's, colts and senior A and senior B rugby for Marist St Michaels while Paul Scott was an All Black reserve in 1966 and played 61 games for the Bay of Plenty between 1963 - 1968. He also played three matches for the combined BOP/ Counties and Thames Valley team in 1965; the North Island team in 1966 and was a New Zealand triallist from 1965 - 1967.
Hayden's great grandfather Walter James Scott and great great grandfather Walter Perehika Scott were also renowned rugby players in the area.
"It's pretty special coming back here - there is a strong family tradition - and to be honest, I'm a little overwhelmed at the attention," said Dad Tony, who left Rotorua to live in Australia in the 1980s. After raising a family of four in Canberra, he increasingly became involved in the Western District Rugby Club, especially their annual tours of New Zealand.
For the past 18 months he has been actively involved in the touring party's tireless efforts to fundraise a combined A$70,000 for this year's sporting and cultural tour of New Zealand that boasts an exciting itinerary including visiting cultural sites and completing a number of adventure activities in the area such as the Zorb.
"Our club has been touring as an under-12 team since the 1980's - it's an important part of our culture, given we come from a very strong league province in Australia," he said.
The rugby side of the tour continued in wet weather yesterday when Wests took on their under-12 counterparts from Marist St Michaels.
Even though the visitors have recorded mixed results, Tony said their focus was more on soaking up New Zealand's renowned fascination with rugby.
"There's a strong rugby culture here and that's what this tour is about - letting the kids play, experiencing that rugby culture as well as the culture of New Zealand."
Wests Club will now make preparations for playing Mahurangi in Warkworth on Saturday before returning home to Canberra on Monday.