Mark Reddish Team Player: Reliable and Relentless

Above: Head down and going forward: Mark Reddish gives it his all for Ories in last year's Jubilee Cup final against MSP in horrendous conditions in August.

The Reddish family has had a long and prosperous affiliation with the Oriental-Rongotai club and Mark, the Hurricane, is no different.

His father, like so many players, introduced his two sons, Mark and Dan, into the game at an early age and neither has looked back since.

"My old man is a big club man at Ories and took my family along so I put my boots on at a young age and played right through.

"When we'd be taken down to the clubrooms we'd run around all night and spend a lot of time there."

Reddish has been the complete professional for Wellington rugby, a real journeyman in the most flattering way possible. The modest Hurricane quickly pointed out he is by no means about the glamour or stardom of professional rugby but certainly knuckles down and always gives his full potential in every outing.

"I was never a star but played some rep rugby and did my job."

And he has done his job right throughout his career.

The towering lock was educated, both academically and in rugby, at Rongotai College where he made his 1^st XV debut at a very young age surrounded by some national and local rugby heroes.

"I first played 1^st XV in the fifth form and my first game was very memorable and running out in front of the school. Ma'a (Nonu) was in my team the first year but our real star throughout college was Paulo Aukuso who plays for Ories now."

Reddish spent three seasons in the Rongotai College First XV, mainly as an openside flanker, and he was captain in his final year.

Like most professionals club rugby is where their heart is and the players all seem keen to get back to their roots when possible.

"I really enjoy getting back; it's where everything started so I have a lot of pride in my club."

"I'd say the club competition here is one of the strongest in the country with all the great talent coming right out of college and Rongotai has been a great feeder college for Ories it's certainly a great community club."

He first made his Premier debut for Ories in his first year out of the Rongotai College first XV in 2003, the teenager breaking into the side for the second half of the season after impressing for the Senior 1sts during the first round as a blindside flanker.

He then played a representative season for the Wellington U19s before heading to Singapore with the Ories Sevens team at the end of that year. But on that trip he badly broke his leg and spent a week in hospital before being flown back to New Zealand and forced to spend the Christmas and New Year in plaster. This injury kept him out of all club rugby in 2004.

On his return, he spent two seasons in the Wellington Colts in 2005 and 2006, and was a member of the Wellington Rugby Academy in 2006. He has also had two stints playing overseas in the off-season, spending the 2005/06 New Zealand summer playing in Montpellier in France and 2006/07 in Hong Kong.

He broke into the Wellington Lions side in 2009, his first match for the Lions being a Ranfurly Shield defence against Wairarapa-Bush in Masterton. ITM Cup honours quickly followed. He made his Investec Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in 2011.

Reddish remains an integral part of the Lions and Hurricanes squads respectively. He has made a positive start this year and gave it everything given the opportunity and is never a player coach Mark Hammett would hesitate to select as we all know what Reddish will provide; 110%.

He hopes to get back and play for Ories against Norths this weekend if given the all clear after succumbing to a niggling injury. His brother Dan has been in Perth, and is recovering from a broken leg. He hopes to be fit and playing for Ories in the second round.

Reddish remains a key member of the Hurricanes and will play a key role in the second half of the Super Rugby season.

Post career he has many irons in the fire to fall back on once his playing days come to an end sometime in the future.

"I may look into options overseas but I'm a qualified builder so I always have that to fall back on after I've hung up the boots."

A Mark Reddish type player is an integral part of any sports team, a team man, gives his all and never shies away from his task.

?