HAWTHORN'S recruiting network continues to expand abroad, with the club signing another talented New Zealand recruit.   

The Hawks last week committed to 15-year-old Siope Ngata as an international scholarship holder.

Nagata has a background in rugby and was spotted by Hawks scouts last October at a testing session and playing in games for the New Zealand Hawks.

At the New Zealand AFL Combine held last week, the 186cm and 98kg prospect performed strongly in the athletic testing and in the kicking and clean hands drills.

Ngata follows Kurt Heatherley and Shem Tatupu as Hawthorn's New Zealand recruits, with the club already committed to selecting the pair as international rookies at the end of this season.

Hawks national recruiting manager Graham Wright said the club hoped Ngata would be part of the next wave of international recruits for the club.

"That's what we'd like. It's a fair way off for these guys but we enter into this knowing they're going to take some time and some might not get there," Wright told AFL.com.au.

"At this stage Siope will stay in New Zealand [instead of coming to Australia full-time]. Invariably we'll monitor his progress over the next year or two and he'll be involved in our development programs here."

Follow AFL website reporter Callum Twomey on Twitter at @AFL_CalTwomey.