Messam: Chiefs’ culture ‘awesome’
The Chiefs’ most-capped player, Liam Messam, says his side is making up the ground lost from the off-field stripper scandal of 2016.
Nearing the end of his career in New Zealand, Messam is off to French club Toulon at the end of the Super Rugby season, aged 34. He claims he only feels 21 and there is some energy left in the tank yet.
Messam is leaving nothing behind. He is adamant, however, the public should know his team is doing its best to pull back a tarnished reputation left over from the fallout of the infamous ‘Mad Monday’ celebrations at the end of the 2016 season.
Messam said the culture within the team remained the same, because it never needed to change, but the team had learned hard lessons from the incident.
"I wouldn’t say it’s changed. I know 2016 was disappointing. Yeah, there has been a lot of things said about this club and about the boys,’’ Messam said.
‘‘We have got an awesome culture here, we’ve got a culture that’s very family driven. The boys are really close to each other, we get on really well and you can see that on the footy field how hard we play for each other.’’
The Mad Monday celebrations led to allegations team members had touched a hired stripper, ‘‘Scarlette’’, at the Okoroire hot pools, near Matamata.
‘‘Scarlette’’ alleged she had been inappropriately touched and licked, had alcohol and gravel thrown on her and was intimidated during the function.
A New Zealand Rugby (NZR) investigation uncovered information it was a contract worker hired by the Super Rugby franchise who touched the stripper paid to dance for the side. The players were cleared of any wrongdoing by the inquiry and police launched no formal investigation.
Messam said while he could not comment whether the team had regained the respect from Chiefs supporters, it was doing its best to represent the ‘‘family club’’.
‘‘We know we had a lot of ground to make up and hopefully the boys have understood that and are doing that hard on and off the field,’’ Messam said.
‘‘We really care about our community and our people here at the Chiefs franchise and the boys try to get out as much as they can into the community and help the young ones and inspire the next generation.
‘‘We are hard working here, and we look after each other. We’ve got that family feeling and we are always going out there trying to inspire the next generation.’’
With over 150 matches for the club he knows the Chiefs’ environment back to front and although his side could struggle to make the Super Rugby playoffs, he has faith in the younger players to carry on the legacy of two Super Rugby titles in the past six seasons.
‘‘It’s been tough going here at the Chiefs, we have sort of just been hanging on, I guess. There is a lot of potential in this group which is awesome to see. We just need to make sure we keep unleashing it when we need to.
‘‘I guess being that sort of age I am trying to keep up with the young ones that keep me on my toes, but it gives me a boost of energy knowing I am a 34-year-old playing all these young ones and I can mix it up with them.
Aside from his on-field game, Messam has recently signed a partnership deal with Australia and New Zealand menswear brand Johnny Big, which he assumes is because he needed more ‘‘swag’’.
‘‘At the moment I feel like I’m 21, which I haven’t felt like that in a while. As long as I keep my body in check, my health in check and I am happy you can play as long as you want. I’ve got some more years in these legs yet.’’
Messam was ‘‘far too old’’ to continue rugby sevens, he said, but highlights in his career included the 2015 Rugby World Cup title and playing in the Rio Olympics with the All Blacks Sevens, although unsuccessful.
Unfortunately there is no secret to longevity, just putting in the hard yards.
‘‘Comes down to hard work really. Everyone from the outside thinks we’ve got the easiest job and we’ve got the good life and that, but it’s bloody hard work. The ones that work the hardest are the ones that stay here the longest.
‘‘There’s going to be disappointments and setbacks, but that’s just life and you can just bounce back and keep making the effort because eventually it will pay off.’’
‘‘There is a lot of potential in this group which is awesome to see. We just need to make sure we keep unleashing it when we need to.’’
Liam Messam