A Step into the Unknown
Aaron Bailey-Nowell is unsure of what to expect when he plays for the Maori team at the Asia Pacific tournament in Hawaii.
The Taranaki Mountain Airs small forward flew out to Honolulu with the Jeff Green-coached team on Tuesday.
Bailey-Nowell earned the call up after an impressive display for the Maori team at the Oceania Pacific tournament in Wellington last December when he played a key role in the team's win over Australia in the final.
"After the Oceanias, Jeff Green said a trip to Hawaii was in the pipeline and he would be back in touch," said Bailey-Nowell.
"I played alright in Wellington and said put my name down so I was stoked when I was named in the team."
The Maori will play three games over eight days at the tournament which starts this weekend. First up, the team takes on Hawaii Pacific University.
"I'm not sure quite what to expect but the university teams are full on with their US college season at the moment, so they'll be fit and ready to go."
Bailey-Nowell, who works fulltime in the Taranaki oil and gas industry with Greymouth Petroleum, was not planning on taking advantage of the big surf on offer during his stay in Hawaii.
Bailey-Nowell said he was involved in off-season training with Taranaki and committed to playing in 2015.
