Wellington U19s Player Profile: Josh Robertson-Weepu

The Wellington U19s are the defending National U19 tournament champions. Last year they won the Graham Mourie Cup at the inaugural National Jock Hobbs Memorial event. Leading up to the 2015 tournament, Club Rugby is profiling some of the young Lions who are likely to feature in the tournament and indeed the future of the game in the capital.

Above: Josh Robertson-Weepu gets a pass away in a recent Wellington club Jubilee Cup match for his Wainuiomata team.

Josh Robertson-Weepu is one of only three returning players from last year's title winning team. The others are Tao-Roi Lupo and Aleks Noble-Campbell.

The 2014 tournament was a bitter-sweet occasion for Robertson-Weepu. Injury restricted him to three reduced appearances.

"I sprained my ankle in the [Wellington Premier club rugby] Jubilee Cup final", Robertson-Weepu recalls.

"I stepped past Chase Tiatia, which isn't hard, and then fell awkwardly. Piri Weepu was the waterboy. He ran on and told me to play on, but I couldn't."

This year Robertson-Weepu is set to be one of Wellington's key players. He has been in imperious form in the Hurricanes seeding tournament. Against the Barbarians he kicked eight straight conversions and last Saturday against Hawke's Bay he created three tries with his quick instincts and flair.

Robertson-Weepu has already played 28 games for Wainuiomata and scored 138 points. The club has had a profound influence on his development.

"Wanui is my home. I grew up there. I have played for both the league and rugby club. When we made the Jubilee Cup final it was a big deal. Maori TV did a story and we had club supporters’ days where we had lunches with the old blokes. Only then did we realize the impact of making the final," he explains.

Robertson-Weepu was born in Christchurch but relocated to Wellington when he was three.

His step-father and former Manly front rower Billy Weepu has been a big presence. "Billy comes to most of my games and is always offering me advice on how to improve. He tried to toughen me up when I was young. He wanted me to play prop, but I was too soft," Robertson-Weepu laughs.

"Billy still plays himself for the Wainuiomata Indigenous Lions, that's like the old fellas reserve grade. He names himself on the bench each week and comes on for an hour trying to chip kick and throw behind the back passes."

Robertson-Weepu had league trials with the Canberra Raiders and Melbourne Storm, but his First XV experience at St. Patrick's College, Silverstream sealed his commitment to rugby.

He scored 259 points in two seasons, winning the Premier One Championship in 2012 and scoring 17 points in the 2013 decider which Silverstream narrowly lost.

"First XV rugby was awesome. The friendships made are lifelong. To win the championship with such a young team in 2012 was special," Robertson-Weepu recalls.

"I kicked two penalties and got yellow-carded in the final when my good friend Wes Goosen got in the way of my poor technique."

"Other highlights were beating Gisborne Boys' at the Stadium, I scored a try in that game, and the 2013 final. Although we lost I scored 17 points."

Another feature of Robertson-Weepu's First XV career is that is he never lost to Scots College who had a large contingent of Wainuiomata based players.

Henry Stowers, TJ Va'a, the Umaga-Jensen twins (Thomas and Peter), Elias Vole, Joe Daymond and Jordon Glen-Bradbrook all played First XV rugby against Robertson-Weepu who concedes Scots games were always "heated contests."

On the subject of heat, Robertson-Weepu was under duress almost immediately in his club debut for Wainuiomata against Tawa in 2014.

"I came on to replace Tau Mamea who joked, 'go and get them Beaver.' In my first touch I stepped Tolu Fahamokioa and grinned as I got past him. The next thing I know is that I have a giant headache. He got me in the head and got yellow-carded."

The Wellington U19's will be hoping to keep their discipline in Taupo. Robertson-Weepu believes they have a great chance of defending their title.

"Things are coming together nicely. Everybody has become more aware of the defensive systems and we are allowed to express ourselves on the field," he says.

This coming Saturday they play the Junior Manawatu Turbos at Jerry Collins Stadium at 1.00pm, in what is expected to be a tighter game than their first two against the Hurricanes Barbarians (won 84-0) and the Hawke’s Bay U19s (won 46-5).