Former professional players giving back to club rugby

Above: Former Hurricane Tane Tu’ipulotu chatting with current Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd on the sidelines of Wellington club rugby earlier this season.

After retiring from international and professional playing careers, an increasing number of recent players are swapping the cauldron of professional rugby to the clipboards of Wellington club rugby.

This season there are six former Hurricanes and several more former professional players that had extensive playing careers elsewhere involved in coaching Wellington’s Jubilee Cup and Hardham Cup teams.

Former Hurricanes currently involved in coaching Premier rugby in Wellington include Rodney So’oialo (Wellington), Scott Waldrom (Avalon), Riki Flutey (Petone), Dion Waller (Tawa), Roy Kinikinilau (Johnsonville) and Tane Tu’ipulotu (Poneke).

Additionally former Hurricanes loose forward Filo Tiatia is coaching Scots College, taking over from 29-Test Samoan first five-eighth Earl Va’a who is now coaching the Wellington Lions.

Flutey is joined by Daniel Farani at Petone, who played in Europe and for the Sharks for one season, and for Samoa. OBU’s Director of Coaching Issac Feaunati played 14 Tests for Samoa as well as having stints with Bath and London Irish. MSP co-coach Brendan Reidy was also capped 29 times for Samoa and Steven So’oialo played 40 Tests for Samoa/Pacific Islands and was Tawa’s Premier’s coach in 2013 when they won the Jubilee Cup and again in 2014, while Uale Mai is another player giving back to the game after playing 88 World Sevens tournaments, helping to guide Wainuiomata to the national club sevens title earlier this year.

Of these players, several are still playing. Kinikinilau is a former Ories No. 8-turned wing, who spent several seasons in Japan after playing for the Hurricanes, Highlanders and Chiefs and for the All Black Sevens. Kinikinilau has scored 12 tries in eight starts for Johnsonville this year. Farani has appeared on the field for Petone at least once this year, Steven So’oialo is back playing for Tawa, whilst Mai is also playing for Wainuiomata.

Tane Tu’ipulotu is one player who has hung up his boots for good after an extensive playing career in New Zealand and overseas and is now helping current sportspeople stay fit and agile through his growing sports massage business in central Wellington.

After winning the old NPC with Auckland in 2002, he moved to Wellington, and apart from short stints with the Manawatu Turbos (2006) and the Chiefs (2007), Tu’ipulotu played for Poneke, Wellington and the Hurricanes for several years before moving to Newcastle in England.

He jumped at the chance to return to Wellington with his family earlier this year, after playing in Newcastle from 2008-2011, at Iwata in Japan playing for Yamaha in 2011-12 and back at Newcastle in 2012-13. He played his last game of professional rugby in May 2013 for the Newcastle Falcons, before gaining his Level 3 coaching qualification.

“Both our families are in New Zealand and Tonga, so with young children we knew we would always settle back here and coaching was a pathway I always wanted to follow after my playing career, Tu’ipulotu explained.

“I kept in touch with a few of the lads at Poneke whilst overseas, and they knew I was keen to get into a coaching role in Wellington, and I wanted to give back to the team I myself had played for.”

When he’s not surfing, organising his young family and working in his new business as a sports masseuse, Tu’ipulotu has been working as the defence coach for Poneke this year.

Unlike the likes of former teammate Kinikinilau, Tu’ipulotu hasn’t been tempted to resume playing.

“When I stopped playing two years ago a couple of previous [hip and knee] injuries were catching up with me. My mind was and still is very much in the game, but I must respect the fact that my body can’t keep up with the demands of playing anymore. I prefer to save the little mobility I have left in my joints for the waves at Lyall Bay.”

Tu’ipulotu said it’s important for some former players to give back to the game to help the young guys coming through.

“We are passionate about coaching and want to be able to give back to the clubs who gave to us when we were starting out as players ourselves. Secondly, as players recently retired from the professional scene, we have first-hand knowledge of how the modern game has changed and is being managed, therefore are able to offer insight through our coaching.”

Former New Zealand Secondary Schools Pole Vault champion Tu’ipulotu is also building his sports massage business.
 
"TT Sports Massage started in late 2014, after I gained a sports massage qualification whilst in Newcastle.

“I am still building a solid client base, but am enjoying the challenge of starting a new business. I have a few of the rugby guys popping in for the 'Tongan elbow', and have also helped out at the Hurricanes training base with a group of other masseurs. I work from a central Wellington location, which gives me the advantage of gaining clients who work within the CBD, and can pop in during their work hours.

“Owning my own sports massage business also allows me the flexibility to do my coaching and provides me with a good work/family life balance - with the ability to sneak in a surf some days too!” Visit: www.ttsportsmassage.com