Mark Abbott
{{short description|New Zealand rugby union player}}
{{for|the director and president of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution|Mark R. Abbott}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Mark Abbott
| image = Mark Abbott 2018b.jpg
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1990|2|20}}
| birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand
| height = {{convert|1.97|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|112|kg|stlb lb|0|abbr=on}}
| occupation =
| school = St. Andrew's College
| university = University of Canterbury
| relatives =
| position = Lock, Loose forward
| currentclub = {{rut|Mie Honda Heat}}
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 2011
| clubs1 = {{Rut|Canterbury}}
| apps1 = 1
| points1 = 0
| years2 = 2013–2016
| clubs2 = {{Rut|Hawke's Bay}}
| apps2 = 46
| points2 = 15
| years3 = 2014–2017
| clubs3 = {{Rut|Hurricanes}}
| apps3 = 46
| points3 = 30
| years4 = 2017–2019
| clubs4 = Coca-Cola Red Sparks
| apps4 = 31
| points4 = 15
| years5 = 2019
| clubs5 = Sunwolves
| apps5 = 9
| points5 = 0
| years6 = 2020–2021
| clubs6 = Munakata Sanix Blues
| apps6 = 9
| points6 = 0
| years7 = 2022–2024
| clubs7 = {{rut|Saitama Wild Knights}}
| apps7 = 27
| points7 = 10
| years8 = 2024–
| clubs8 = Mie Honda Heat
| apps8 =
| points8 =
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| amatcaps1 =
| amatpoints1 =
| repyears1 =
| repteam1 =
| repcaps1 =
| reppoints1 =
| repyears2 =
| repteam2 =
| repcaps2 =
| reppoints2 =
| clubupdate = 22 January 2024
| repupdate =
}}
Mark Abbott (born 20 February 1990) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for {{rut|Saitama Wild Knights}} in the Japan Rugby League One competition.{{cite web | url=https://panasonic.co.jp/sports/wildknights/team/player/mark_abbott/ | title=Mark Abbott Saitama Wild Knights Player Profile | work=Saitama Wild Knights | access-date=6 January 2024}} He previously played for the {{rut|Hurricanes}} in Super Rugby and {{rut|Hawke's Bay}} in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship.{{cite web | url=https://www.hurricanes.co.nz/fan-zone/alumni/player/mark-abbott | title=Mark Abbott Hurricanes Player Profile | work=Hurricanes Rugby | access-date=24 January 2017}}{{cite web | url=http://files.allblacks.com/comms/2016-ISR/2017_ISR_Squad_Naming_Hurricanes-PUBLISHED-01.pdf | title=Hurricanes 2017 Squad Guide | website=allblacks.com | access-date=24 January 2017 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222064924/http://files.allblacks.com/comms/2016-ISR/2017_ISR_Squad_Naming_Hurricanes-PUBLISHED-01.pdf | archive-date=22 December 2019}}{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_29984.html | title=Mark Abbott itsrugby.co.uk Player Statistics | work=itsrugby.co.uk | access-date=24 January 2017}}
Early career
Born in Christchurch and raised in the small town of Darfield, Abbott was educated at St. Andrew's College in his place of birth. After completing high school, he began studying towards a bachelor of commerce degree at the University of Canterbury while also making his way through the youth structures with national provincial championship side, {{rut|Canterbury}}. A lack of playing opportunities with Canterbury meant that after graduating university, he headed north to Napier to try and earn a contract with local provincial side, {{rut|Hawke's Bay}} in 2013.{{cite news | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/rugby-allardice-the-best-chef-among-twin-towers/5EDQ67BZWPX7J4N62JBYDTT6EE/ | title=Rugby: Allardice the best chef among twin towers | work=New Zealand Herald | date=6 September 2013 | access-date=27 January 2017}}{{cite news | url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/67306881/hard-work-and-a-big-heart-puts-hurricanes-lock-mark-abbott-at-front-of-the-queue | title=Hard work and a big heart puts Hurricanes lock Mark Abbott at front of the queue | work=Rugby Heaven | date=13 March 2015 | access-date=27 January 2017}}
Senior career
Abbott made his senior debut for {{Rut|Hawke's Bay}} during the 2013 ITM Cup and went on to play 11 of the Magpies' 12 games during the year which culminated with them losing 26–25 to {{rut|Tasman}} in the Championship playoff final. Abbott formed an impressive partnership with fellow Cantabrian Michael Allardice through 2013 and the duo were again in good form the following year with Abbott an ever present in a Hawke's Bay side which was once again defeated in the playoff final, this time 32-24 by {{rut|Manawatu}}.
It was 3rd time luck for Abbott and the Magpies in 2015 ITM Cup, with the lock scoring his first provincial try, playing all 12 games and winning his side's Forward of the Year award as the men from Napier finished top of the Championship log with 7 wins from 10 games and then defeated the {{rut|Bay of Plenty}} and {{rut|Wellington}} in the playoffs to gain promotion to the Premiership in 2016.
Unfortunately for the Magpies, their stay in New Zealand's top flight was to last only one season as they ended up in last place on the Mitre 10 Cup Premiership log after recording just 2 wins from 10 games. Abbott's long time second row partner Allardice missed the entire campaign through injury, but in conjunction with up-and-coming youngster Geoffrey Cridge he turned in some good performances in trying circumstances, scoring 2 tries in 10 games.{{cite news | url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/rugby-abbott-hot-favourite-for-season-mvp/DYYXAL63OOFEXM6ZXM2MFM32AE/ | title=Rugby: Abbott hot favourite for season MVP | work=Hawke's Bay Today | date=27 January 2017 | access-date=15 October 2016}}
Super Rugby
Just one season of provincial rugby with Hawke's Bay was all it took to bring Abbott to the attention of New Zealand's Super Rugby franchises and he opted to sign for the Wellington-based {{rut|Hurricanes}} ahead of the 2014 Super Rugby season.{{cite web | url=http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2013/rugby/story/200663.html | title=Hurricanes sign trio of ITM Cup players | work=ESPN Scrum | date=3 October 2013 | access-date=3 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915031139/http://www.espnscrum.com/super-rugby-2013/rugby/story/200663.html |archive-date=15 September 2014}}{{cite web | url=http://www.superxv.com/40723/1/hurricanes-name-2014-super-rugby-squad#.UnY4InCmhAk | title=Hurricanes name 2014 Super Rugby Squad | website=www.superxv.com | date=29 October 2013 | access-date=3 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103001723/http://www.superxv.com/40723/1/hurricanes-name-2014-super-rugby-squad#.UnY4InCmhAk |archive-date=3 November 2013}} As a result of his lack of top level experience and the 'Canes having locks such as Jeremy Thrush, James Broadhurst and Blade Thomson on their books, Abbott was restricted to just 2 appearances in his first season of Super Rugby.
2015 saw him feature far more regularly, playing 16 times with the majority of his game time coming from the replacements bench as Broadhurst and Thrush once again owned the starting berths. The Hurricanes were defeated finalists in 2015, going down 14–21 at home to the {{rut|Highlanders}}, however, they went one better in 2016, defeating South African side, the {{rut|Lions}} to lift the Super Rugby trophy. Abbott played 14 of their 18 games during the year, making just 5 starts as newcomers Vaea Fifita and Michael Fatialofa overtook him in the queue for starting positions.
Career honours
Super Rugby statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height:90%; font-size:95%; width:70%;" | ||||||||||||
| Season | Team | Games | Starts | Sub | Mins | Tries | Cons | Pens | Drops | Points | Yel | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | {{Rut|Hurricanes}} | 2 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | {{Rut|Hurricanes}} | 16 | 6 | 10 | 548 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | {{Rut|Hurricanes}} | 14 | 5 | 9 | 485 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| colspan="2"|Total || 32 || 12 || 20 || 1093 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 0 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.rugbyhistory.co.nz/player/mark-h-abbott NZ Rugby History profile]
- [http://en.rugby-japan.jp/schedule/player/420681/ Japan Rugby Player profile]
{{Saitama Wild Knights squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Mark}}
Category:People educated at St Andrew's College, Christchurch
Category:New Zealand rugby union players
Category:Rugby union players from Christchurch
Category:Hawke's Bay rugby union players
Category:Hurricanes (rugby union) players
Category:Coca-Cola Red Sparks players
Category:Munakata Sanix Blues players
Category:Saitama Wild Knights players
Category:New Zealand expatriate rugby union players in Japan