Hogs turn to more power from Tonga
HELENSVALE have replaced one former Tongan international with another in their coaching ranks for the 2019 Gold Coast District Rugby Union season.
Taione Vea has been appointed as Hogs head coach, with his predecessor Tonga Lea’aetoa staying on at the club in a playing role.
Vea, a prop, played six Tests for Tonga in 2012 and was playing Premiership Rugby for the Newcastle Falcons as recently as two years ago. He only turns 30 on Saturday but will be in a coach only capacity, having retired due to a neck injury.
After finishing up in England, Vea and his young family moved to the Gold Coast, where they were welcomed by Lea’aetoa.
Having grown up watching Lea’aetoa and Hogs assistant Pierre Hola represent Tonga, he joined the club as a forwards coach and is now
excitedly awaiting his debut head coaching season in which he’ll lead the mission to end Helensvale’s premiership hoodoo.
The Hogs have for years been frontrunners and made the 2014 decider but are yet to clinch a first grade title.
“We’re going to try to rectify
where we can help and what we can do,” Vea said.
“I played professional rugby for years and I have never won any championship but I have won club championships, playing sevens and playing 15s.
“If there’s anything I know about club rugby, it’s not driven by money, it’s not driven by any special honours; it’s driven by players and the community itself. We’re going to try to find the balance and get things right.”
Hogs president Karl Wernham confirmed Lea’aetoa is not going anywhere and will in fact act as a player mentor between pulling on the boots.
“He just wants to focus a bit more on playing, one more decent year of playing. He’s keen,” Wernham said.
“We both agreed, he needs a break from coaching, he has been doing it for all of the time now, and just get back to enjoying what we do.”
The club will begin preseason training in January.