Tawa's maiden Swindale Shield win a triumph for community rugby

Above: Tawa players Jeff Makapelu (left) and brothers Taniela and Joketani Koroi celebrating with the Swindale Shield and a group of young fans on Saturday afternoon.

Tawa's maiden Swindale Shield win is a triumph of the community clubs.

It's fantastic for the game and for grassroots sport, in Wellington and in all city and metropolitan Premier competitions around New Zealand.

Like with Wainuiomata's rise in recent seasons, and with others such as Avalon in the early 1990s and again in the early 2000s, and Johnsonville and the Wests Roosters, both briefly in the late 1990s, its win has galvanised the local community, schools and non-rugby and rugby people alike.

On Saturday between 4.30 pm and 5.00 pm leafy Lyndhurst Park was the place to be. The ground was humming with pride.

Once presented with the Swindale Shield, Tawa captain Taniela Koroi, clearly a leader and role model off the field as well as on it, led his players, his supporters, members of the Tawa College First XV - ?who performed a rousing haka to the team - and many junior players in celebration. In gathering gloom, the Swindale Shield itself was a shining beacon on a special afternoon for the club.

Powerful prop Korori, who took over the captaincy of the team mid-campaign from previously injured lock Fili Komomatangi, thanked his teammates, Tawa's fans and God.

"It's awesome, history's been made. One of our stated goals we set at the start of the season was before we get into the Jubilee Cup was to win the Swindale Shield and we have achieved that."

Koroi highlighted the close-knit team culture in the group. "You all saw our team culture out there today against MSP. They score, we score, they score, we score. Holding on to a draw [29-29] and earning the bonus point we needed was a reflection of how tight we are on and off the field."

Koroi thanked the fans. "The supporters we have are huge for us. They have been here on the terraces since the first game of the season and that's how we started off so well and how came out on top in our close games."

Two close home wins include those against Norths in round five, when they snatched a one-point victory at the very end, and over Ories 33-23. ?They're unbeaten in six games at Lyndhurst Park this season, scoring 189 points and conceding 101 there so far.

Now for the Jubilee Cup starting this coming weekend? "That's our next goal now, we'll enjoy this and then re-focus for the Jubilee Cup." The last club to achieve the coveted Swindale Shield/ Jubilee Cup double was Norths in 2010.

Wellington Lions lock/flanker and senior Tawa Pati Gaualofa also explained that the team's culture is key to them winning the Swindale Shield.?

"Our unity is a big factor," said Gaualofa. "The boys have been together for a few years now and we come from humble beginnings and work hard to achieve our goals.

"We're thankful to be holding the Swindale Shield aloft and look forward to the opportunity to do the same with the Jubilee Cup later in the season."

Tawa's coaching coordinator Dion Waller, himself a former Tawa player, added it's a special day for him."Being part of a winning club in the amateur club rugby scene is right up there," Waller said.

"We're over the moon; to put Tawa's name on the Swindale Shield for the first time since 1947 is huge for the team and for the Tawa community and followers."

Waller said the club's first round success came down to desire.

The players have got to? create their own dreams and their own goals. It started in the pre-season. The boys are fitter and stronger than last year and they're a tight-knit unit on and off the field."

"Reaching this point is a lot of hours spent in the gym and a lot of hitting the roads. No one likes running the roads, but with [player-coach] Steven So'oialo and myself cracking the whip behind them it helped them."

Waller praised So'oialo, who played 38 Tests for Samoa and who played for the Wests Roosters against Tawa in their 1998 Jubilee Cup final win. "He's a huge influence. He's the heart and the soul, he's got mana and having him on the pitch is massive for the club."

Waller said the goal now is to enjoy this and look forward to the Jubilee Cup. "We have the Swindale Shield now and we are now part of its history. But the Jubilee Cup is the eight best clubs in Wellington so we'll see how we go."

The win is Tawa's only major title success. They won the Premier 2 Hardham Cup in 1994, 2002, 2009 and 2011.

A true community club, they've often been in the mix in the modern era but too often have let themselves down through poor discipline or a lack of desire, as explained by Waller above, to win the close games.

Since its inception in 1969, the Swindale Shield has now been won by 12 clubs.

In recent years, Northern United won or shared six of seven Swindale Shields between 2006 and 2011, but following Hutt Old Boys Marist's win last year they are the third different winner in as many wins.

Now that the celebrations have died down, the question remains: where in the clubrooms will the Swindale Shield take pride of place?