Mark Abbott (rugby union)
Mark Abbott | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 20, 1990 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Professional rugby union player |
| Known for | Rugby union lock for Hawke's Bay, Hurricanes, Sunwolves, Coca-Cola Red Sparks, Munakata Sanix Blues, Saitama Wild Knights |
Mark Abbott (born 20 February 1990) is a professional rugby union athlete from New Zealand, currently playing as a lock for in the Japan Rugby League One. His previous experience includes representing in Super Rugby and competing for in New Zealand’s domestic National Provincial Championship.
Early career
Originally from Christchurch and brought up in Darfield, Abbott attended St. Andrew's College. He later enrolled at the University of Canterbury to study commerce while advancing through youth ranks with the provincial team . After facing limited game time, he relocated to Napier post-graduation to pursue a contract with in 2013.
Senior career
Abbott made his first appearance for during the 2013 ITM Cup, participating in 11 out of 12 matches as the Magpies narrowly missed out on the Championship final win against . He established a dependable partnership with fellow Cantabrian Michael Allardice and maintained steady form throughout the 2014 ITM Cup, although Hawke's Bay was again defeated in the playoffs by .
The 2015 season saw Abbott score his inaugural provincial try, feature in every one of the 12 games, and receive the Forward of the Year award. Hawke's Bay led the Championship standings with seven victories and achieved promotion to the Premiership after playoff wins over and .
Hawke's Bay’s stint in the Premiership during 2016 lasted just one season; they finished at the bottom with two wins from ten outings. Despite Allardice being sidelined due to injury, Abbott alongside emerging talent Geoffrey Cridge delivered commendable performances, with Abbott crossing the try line twice over ten matches.
Super Rugby
Following his initial season with Hawke's Bay, Abbott garnered attention from New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises and secured a contract with the Wellington-based ahead of the 2014 Super Rugby season. With limited exposure at this level and competition from established locks such as Jeremy Thrush, James Broadhurst, and Blade Thomson, Abbott appeared only twice during his debut campaign.
In the 2015 competition, Abbott’s involvement increased as he played in 16 matches predominantly as a substitute, while Broadhurst and Thrush remained starters. The Hurricanes concluded the season as runners-up after a narrow 14–21 home defeat to the . The following year, they claimed the Super Rugby championship by overcoming South Africa’s . During the 2016 season, Abbott participated in 14 of 18 games with five starts, as newcomers Vaea Fifita and Michael Fatialofa secured starting roles.
Career honours
Hurricanes
Hawke's Bay Magpies
Super Rugby statistics
| Season | Team | Games | Starts | Sub | Mins | Tries | Cons | Pens | Drops | Points | Yel | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Template:Rut | 2 | 1 | 1 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Template:Rut | 16 | 6 | 10 | 548 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Template:Rut | 14 | 5 | 9 | 485 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 32 | 12 | 20 | 1093 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
External links
- 1991 births
- Living people
- Alumni of St Andrew's College, Christchurch
- New Zealand rugby union athletes
- Rugby union players originating from Christchurch
- Rugby union locks
- Hawke's Bay rugby union team members
- Hurricanes (rugby union) squad
- Sunwolves team players
- Coca-Cola Red Sparks rugby players
- Munakata Sanix Blues rugby athletes
- Saitama Wild Knights players
- New Zealand rugby union expatriates in Japan
- Mie Honda Heat rugby union players