Growing up in Thames, Hayward played rugby union for the Goldfields sub-union and represented Auckland.

[1] Hayward played for New Zealand against the touring Anglo-Welsh Lions in on 25 July 1908.

[1] Hayward switched to rugby league in 1912 and made an immediate impact, playing for Thames, Auckland and touring Australia with New Zealand that year.

[3] Like Goldfields, Thames was a sub-league of the Auckland Rugby League at the time.

Hayward captained the 1913 New Zealand tour of Australia and played for Auckland against Great Britain in 1914.