Rugby: Winter of content for born leader

Arrowtown captain Aidan Winter with the Central Otago Player of the Year and the Otago Country...
Arrowtown captain Aidan Winter with the Central Otago Player of the Year and the Otago Country Player of the Year trophies. Photo by Tracey Roxburgh.
They call him "Goonie" and on the field he is an easy man to spot.

That is helped in no small part by his trademark mullet - a manicured beauty he has been growing for five years - but spectators at games involving the openside flanker and hooker this season will have noticed he seems to be everywhere.

For Aidan Winter (26), the man behind the mullet and the nickname, 2008 has been a season he will not easily forget.

Winter, named captain of the Arrowtown Bulls for the first time, led his men to the Otago Countrywide title before being named in the Otago Country team for the fourth time.

He has just capped off the season by being the first Arrowtown player to be named Central Otago Player of the Year and Otago Country Player of the Year.

Originally from Wyndham, Winter attended Menzies College before heading to Otago Boys High School.

He later played for Zingari Richmond before moving to Arrowtown in 2005.

He went to the Lakes District for work opportunities after being offered an apprenticeship.

Winter soon discovered he was a good fit with the close-knit team of "A-Men", which also includes younger brother Reece and cousin Brett.

The saying the family that plays together stays together rings true for the Winters - with Aidan, Reece, sister Paige and Brett all living together until Reece made "the big move" out of the home recently.

"It's good [living with the family]. There's a bit of brotherly love going on there."

He may be a man of few words, but holds huge respect within the team and it is respect that goes both ways.

For the Arrowtown Bulls Winter puts the unequalled season down to one thing.

"It's just a great bunch of guys; that helps."

Richie Anderson, who has recently stepped down from the role of coach, said Winter had tremendous speed and strength, but it was up to him if he wanted to crack the Otago side.

"His potential hasn't been hit yet. It's something he needs to understand - the only way for him [to get there] is to say 'dammit, I'm going to have a shot at this team'."

If Winter was serious about representing Otago, he would do better to concentrate on hooker, given that his height of about 175cm makes him too short to fit the trend of using the flanker as a line-out option, he said.

"They're looking more in the model of the Adam Thomsons and Tim Boys where they've got the height and the speed.

"It showed when Aidan was playing for Otago in the sevens. No-one could beat him off the ground and he's strong. The better position for him [in rugby] is hooker."

Anderson said as a captain, Winter was one of the best.

"He leads by example. He wasn't picked because he can say great after-match speeches. He's not articulate; he doesn't have to be. He just gets the job done."

With Winter looking to step back into his role as captain next year and the Bulls retaining most of their championship side for 2009, he is hoping Arrowtown will be able to retain both titles and add the elusive White Horse Cup to the trophy cabinet at Jack Reid Park.

 

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM