Turia and Poneke travelling well in Swindale Shield
Pakai Turia is the new leader in the Wellington club rugby Best and Fairest competition and his club, Poneke, is sitting in third on the standings after nine matches of the 13-round Swindale Shield competition.
Turia was awarded 3 points in Poneke’s 62-18 win over the Avalon Wolves at Fraser Park on Saturday, to lift his tally to 10 points in the Billy Wallace competition. This was his third Player of the Match performance, awarded by Dominion Post reporters.
At the same time, Poneke, who hold their Old Timers’ Day this coming Saturday and host the Wellington club at Kilbirnie Park, are well positioned to make this year’s Jubilee Cup. With six wins and three losses, Poneke are third on 31 points, nine clear of ninth placed the Upper Hutt Rams. Their run home sees them play the Axemen (home), leaders old Boys University (home), the Rams (Westpac Stadium) and Marist St Pat’s (away, but across the road at Evans Bay Park).
Turia says he’s really enjoying his rugby at the moment and credits a fulltime move to fullback from first five-eighth that is helping to ignite his game in 2016, after joining the club fresh out of school in 2014.
“I’m loving playing there at the moment – more space, more freedom,” he says.
“This is my first proper year at fullback. I was always a first five-eighth growing up in junior rugby and at Wellington College and mostly first-five in my first two years at Poneke.
“At first I wasn’t too keen to play fullback because I didn’t back my speed, but the coaches said they needed someone at fullback with a good kick-return and who could attack the line and I was that player. I had my first few games and it went well, so they’ve decided to keep me there.”
He’s enjoying playing with the players around him, such as centre Levi Harmon and wing Nick Robertson, both new to the Poneke Premiers this year. “Our backs are on fire now; it’s useful to have players like Levi and Nick inside and outside you.”
He also credits the coaches, with Tane Tu'ipulotu a former Poneke and Hurricanes midfielder. “Tane’s a really good influence, and he helps get the micro-skills stuff sorted before all the flashy things are brought out.”
It’s been a busy past couple of months for Turia. An electrical apprentice by day, rugby trainings and nine rounds of rugby in the past seven weeks hasn’t left much downtime.
He left Wellington College at the end of 2013, after leading his school First XV team to the Wellington Premier 1 title against rivals St Pat’s Silverstream. He rates that final win as a career highlight.
“We lost to them in 2012, but 2013 was my last year at school and I got the Player of the Match in the final and kicked the winning penalty.” In wet and windy conditions, he kicked a perfect seven from seven and 20 points in the 25-22 win.
Poneke’s Old Timers’ Day this Saturday carries special significance. Former Poneke wing and current Premier manager Evan Belford has created the inaugural Ruck Cancer and Purple Sock Day, after the loss to cancer in the off-season of both close friend and former 200-game teammate Misiluni Moananu and former Northern United back Nene Va’alepu.
Moananu played his final season at the Wellington Axemen in 2015, playing one of his last games against Poneke in round 11 of the Swindale Shield, and he also coached their Colts team.
People can donate $3 by texting RUCK to 469, while New Zealand Cancer Society volunteers will be collecting at every Wellington premier club game on Saturday, as well as during the Hurricanes Super Rugby match against the Reds at Westpac Stadium that night. Moananu’s death inspired Belford to create something tangible to honour the popular tighthead prop’s contribution to the rugby community.
Tomorrow night, RUCK CANCER will hold a launch at Poneke Football Club at 6:30pm to unveil the purple socks to be worn on Saturday. Chris Te’o from the Cancer Society Wellington Division and Evan will share the key messages of RUCK CANCER NZ