Junior teams tackling a new code
League getting a foothold thanks to a dedicated duo
Levin Wanderers Rugby Football and Sports Club have brought junior rugby league to town and it's a huge hit. Club stalwarts Sonny Whakarau and Ethan Keith decided it was time to introduce primary school-aged children to league, putting the word out to the community earlier this year.
“At our first muster in early March we only had 10 kids turn up,” said Whakarau. “We extended the invite to other local rugby clubs and now have over 50 kids playing.”
With boys and girls coming from Foxton, Ōtaki, College Old Boys, Athletic and Wanderers rugby clubs, the organisers were able to set up four teams, two under 12s and two under 10s, to take part in a Manawatu junior league competition.
The league teams have to borrow jerseys from the Wanderers junior rugby teams for their games, but have had four sponsors offer to help out with the cost of new team kits, including two Australian businesses.
“Willie Raston and Warren Kerehi are both former Levin lads who were heavily involved with rugby league and are wanting to give back to the community,” said Whakarau.
Raston's Canberra business RASS Scaffolding is sponsoring the two Under 12 team kits while Kerehi's Brisbane business Pressure Cookers is sponsoring one of the Under 10 team's kit, along with Rangitikei-based business Saw46.
The other Under 10 kit is being sponsored by an Auckland-based business, TransFlora Transport.
Having passed the halfway mark of the competition recently, Keith said the teams are playing good footy and creating good combinations and team play.
“We've got a great group of parents as well,” said Keith, “transporting the kids to the games, great sideline supporters, running post-game barbecues.”
Parent and local MP Terisa Ngobi said she and her husband brought their rugby-playing boys along to take part because of the real family feel Whakarau and Keith bring to the junior league teams.
“Sonny and Ethan are showing our kids wha¯nau manaakitanga in action,” she said.
The fourth round of the competition a couple of weeks ago also included a vaccination event run by the Highbury Wha¯nau Centre (HWC) – Up2 Manawatu¯.
According to Jodie Matenga-Philips, HWC's W.A.I.O.R.A community development coordinator, the purpose of the event was to ensure Ma¯ ori and Pasifika wha¯nau could easily access Covid vaccinations, childhood immunisations and flu vaccinations.
“With over 80 whānau taking up the opportunity, our day was a huge success,” said Matenga-Philips.
As part of the vaccination event, HWC ran a competition where the club with the most people getting vaccinated on the day could win a cash prize.
Levin Wanderers won the Whakahaumanu te iwi competition, with 24 members/whānau from the club getting vaccinations, and received a koha of $1000 from HWC.
Whakarau said they'll use the funds to keep growing the junior teams, as money is often a big barrier to organised sports for many families.
Keith and Whakarau want to keep growing junior league in Levin, adding Under 8s and Under 6s, but to do that will also need more community support.
“With the junior competition being held in Manawatu, there's extra travel expenses, so we're keen to get more sponsors on board,” said Whakarau.
To find out how you can help out the junior rugby league teams, you can contact Sonny Whakarau at whakaroos17@gmail.com or Ethan Keith at ethankeith92@gmail.com.