New Zealander Dan Temm is having to be patient in his bid to become an Aviva Premiership player.

The 22-year-old former Otley back-rower was signed by Newcastle Falcons last month until the end of the season but has been loaned out to SSE National League One side Tynedale, a division above the Cross Greeners.

Temm was back in Yorkshire last Saturday, playing for relegation-threatened Tynedale at fifth-placed Wharfedale, where the north-easterners gained a surprise 27-14 victory.

But the rangy open-side flanker has not forgotten his time along the Wharfe valley, saying: “I absolutely loved it at Otley in the two-and-a-half seasons I was there.

“I learned a lot under Mark Luffman and the three directors of rugby – Gary Walker, Ryan Duckett and James Tiffany.”

Temm, who is from Rotorua, revealed that he initially came over to England to play cricket, the all-rounder featuring for Warley in the Halifax League before being transferred to Guiseley in the Aire-Wharfe League.

Having not played any rugby beyond senior high school back in the Land of the Long White Cloud, Temm explained: “I came to Halifax to play cricket and went to Old Crossleyans for my rugby.

“Mark Luffman and Gary Walker then invited me to come to Otley – and Mark was even interested in taking me to Leeds, but I chose Otley.”

Newcastle had a look at Temm, who had been impressing for Otley, in the Aviva A League this season, having played against the Falcons for Leeds Carnegie, where he came on as a replacement in an under-23s warm-up clash at Darlington Mowden Park in August.

Temm scored a try for Falcons A in their 18-8 defeat to Worcester Cavaliers in October and was in the Falcons team defeated 44-7 at Gloucester United the same month.

However, in order to get more regular weekend rugby, Temm – who is training with the Falcons three times a week – was loaned out to Tynedale.

He explained: “There are five Newcastle lads at Tynedale and another five at Blaydon as Dean Richards (Newcastle director of rugby) wants us to get plenty of game-time under our belts.”

Richards believes Temm has a bit of the X-factor about him, although he is expected to be one for the long-term.

The Newcastle chief said: “We have given him an opportunity until the end of the season, to see what he is like in this environment, but we have watched him already and seen something in him.

“He has played in some of our A-League games and is slightly different to what we have here already.”

Likening the Kiwi to countryman Josh Kronfeld, the All Black great who played under Richards during his time in charge of Leicester, he added: “Daniel’s style is more aligned to a Kronfeld kind of player and he has a huge amount of ability.

“He is maybe one more for the long-term, rather than being thrown straight into a game for us, but he has until the end of the year.

“Our links with the local clubs allow us to have a look at him in a match environment and it makes sense to use that option.”

Temm, who thought he had scored his first try for Tynedale at Wharfedale only to be tackled just short, said: “I would hope I get a chance with Newcastle in the LV= Cup. I have learned so much up there, training with the internationals.”