In another life Finlay Christie may have been tending the family farm in the rolling hills of Scotland.
The Hurricanes halfback’s beginnings trace back to The Borders region to a small market town in the royal burgh of Tweeddale where the population numbers about 8000 locals.
“I was born in a little town called Peebles and grew up there before we moved to Aberdeen,” Christie told C:60 ahead of the 2018 Investec Super Rugby season. “We stayed in Scotland until I was 7-years-old before making the journey over to New Zealand.”
Christie’s parents, his mother was a teacher and his dad worked in the shipping and oil rig industry, are both Scottish and his childhood was spent roaming the countryside of his forefathers.
“It’s mostly rolling hills, farmlands. Mum’s family have a sheep and beef farm that’s been in her family for generations. There are a lot of great memories there, my uncle, my cousin, they still live there and I’ve been back a few times.”
The Christies emigrated to New Zealand after falling in love with the country following a visit to Finlay’s auntie, who had previously made the shift down under.
“Mum’s sister moved to New Zealand when she was quite young, we came and visited and my parents loved it, so that was it basically.”
Finlay’s first home in New Zealand was in rural surrounds of Pukekohe in the heart of the Counties-Manukau rugby stronghold where Jonah Lomu cut his teeth, but the oval ball code was not his first sporting love.
“I got sent to gymnastics because I had too much energy as a kid and mum wanted to get rid of me,” he laughs. “I ended up doing it for nine or ten years and represented New Zealand once or twice, but it was starting to take over my life and I wanted to play footy, so I gave it up near the end of [secondary] school.”
Christie credits his gymnastics back ground for helping him avoid injury and his core strength is evident on the rugby field every time he sweeps the ball off the ground and fires it to the backline.
“The bodyweight strength and core strength helps a lot and to have that base of fitness from a young age,” he said.
Christie’s rugby blossomed during his time at St Kentigern College where he joined his older brother and as a boarder for his final two years became a member of the first XV that won the Auckland title in 2013.
“The coach Josh Sims was pretty good. They were hard on us at a young age and I think that helped,” Christie said. “Winning that Auckland comp was a big highlight.”
After leaving St Kentigern he played age grade rugby for Counties-Manukau before heading south to study commerce at Canterbury University.
A Canterbury Colts representative in 2015, his form in Christchurch club rugby saw him awarded the Hawkins Medal as the competition's top player the following year and led to a contract offer from Tasman to play in the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup.
Now he has the chance to show his wares in Super Rugby after joining TJ Perenara and Jamie Booth as the Hurricanes’ three contracted halfbacks for 2018.
“Learning off TJ,” Christie said when asked his initial goal at the Hurricanes. “He’s a world class halfback and I’m hoping to pick his brains and develop my rugby and just enjoy the experience. I’ve heard there is a really great culture here and I’ve been loving it so far.”