Ainsley home after taking the long way

Published date08 October 2021
For Jermaine Ainsley, it was a game eight years in the making.

The tighthead prop, son of former Otago All Black Joe McDonnell, had dreamed of playing for the province while growing up in Cromwell and later at Otago Boys' High School.

Had circumstances been different, he would have slid into the team as soon as he could after leaving school in 2013.

His mother and siblings were in Perth at the time, though.

He had felt being close to them was important to keep him on track, so he moved to Australia.

That launched a career which has included three years each with the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels, as well as three tests for the Wallabies.

But home came calling.

The 26-year-old wanted to have his first child born in New Zealand, while an opportunity to play for the Highlanders was too good to turn down.

So he and his wife Emily moved back, he signed with the Highlanders and Otago, and Keanu was born eight weeks ago.

It was all shaping up to be a perfect homecoming, until a pre-season ankle injury in February ruled him out for eight months.

While the loss last weekend was not ideal, Ainsley was thrilled to finally make his debut in blue and gold — and to be back from his injury.

"It was pretty awesome," he said.

"If I had to draw the perfect picture, it would have been Otago straight out of school.

"I chose a different pathway to be closer to family in Perth.

"That was the decision to go there — it wasn't even for rugby. I knew family at the time was going to be a strong pillar in my life, to not fall into the traps of drinking and all that.

"It's nice to finally get those two things in my life now — to have family around and be able to play for Otago and hopefully the Highlanders later on."

Ainsley enjoyed his time in Australia.

Initially a club player who worked as a glazier, he worked his way into the Force squad and learned plenty there.

When the franchise was removed from Super Rugby, he shifted to Melbourne to do three years with the Rebels.

In his first year there, he was called into the Wallabies squad, making his test debut against the All Blacks — the team he had grown up dreaming of playing for.

"It all happened...

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