20 Questions: Ben Botica – Harlequins fly-half

Happy with your start at Quins?
I’ve enjoyed every minute of being here. The style of rugby at Quins is suited to how I like to play and when the opportunity came I just tried to take it.
How did your move to England come about?
Pure chance, really. An agent inquired about me and all I knew about Quins was they liked running rugby. But when I heard that it was, ‘yeah, that’s my team.’
Are the styles of New Zealand rugby and Quins similar?
Definitely. We like to run it in New Zealand and at Quins the precision and accuracy is superb. A lot of the stuff is based on skills, which is crucial if you’re doing it from your own 22.
Your dad, Frano, played Rugby League in England, right?
Yeah… I was brought up in Wigan where he played for seven years. Then he had two years at Llanelli Scarlets before going back to New Zealand.
Ever consider playing Rugby League?
I played League as a kid in Wigan but as soon as we got back home it was all Union again and I ended up joining North Harbour.
North Harbour are struggling, aren’t they?
Badly! From being at a place where I was losing a heck of a lot to coming here and winning most weeks has been really good fun.
How’ve you settled into London life?
Very well. I live in Kingston-upon-Thames, pretty close to the train station, so I can shoot into London to enjoy a bit of the culture there.
What sort of culture?
I enjoy going to the odd musical. Me, Nick Mayhew and Joe Gray went to see Wicked the other day. It’s a spin-off of the Wizard of Oz, only about witches.
How else do you chill-out?
I play the guitar. I’ve done that since I was about 11 and I collect guitars, too. I’ve got five, two here in England and three back home in New Zealand.
Ever played guitar to a live audience?
No. If I could sing I might! Maybe I’ll play for the fans in the bar after a Quins game one day and get Danny Care singing. He’s got a good voice so that might work.
What music do you like?
All sorts. Jack Johnson, Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran are all good singer-song writers and I like a bit of rock as well… bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica.
Who’s your housemate in Kingston?
Nick Mayhew. He’s not too bad but he leaves an absolute mess around the house. It’s terrible. I end up doing all the washing-up and vacuuming.
Who does the cooking?
Nick loves his curries and Thai food, but they’re too spicy for me so I end up doing my own. Chicken carbonara is my speciality, along with other Italian dishes like lasagne.
Rugby idols growing up?
I loved Jason Robinson when he played in Rugby League. The way he side-stepped was unbelievable. He and Inga Tuigamala were Wigan greats and I loved the way they played.
Rugby Union heroes?
Pretty much the fly-halves. Andrew Mehrtens and then Dan Carter were the big ones in New Zealand, but I also admired Stephen Larkham and Jonny Wilkinson.
Why such a relaxed kicking style?
I’ve kicked like that the whole of my life and it’s second nature now. I love kicking and don’t see why you should get so stressed about doing it.
Pre-match rituals?
I walk to each of the four corners, then to each corner of the 5-metre lines and the 22s and just stare at the posts. It gives me a feel for the stadium and conditions.
How did you feel when Nick Evans signed his new contract?
Good on him for signing again. I’m just happy to be here.
How do you rate Nev as a person?
He is a really top bloke. Typical Kiwi really… light-hearted but serious when he has to be for the rugby. That’s pretty much how a lot of us are.
If you could be another sportsman, who would it be?
Tiger Woods. I’d love to play golf and earn that much money!