Team’s band of brothers
There are a few tales to tell from the Toa rugby team’s Ramsbottom Cup titlewinning season but perhaps its remarkable family connection is the best of them.
Porirua-based Toa got past Rahui 41-32 to clinch the final of the HorowhenuaKa¯ piti senior competition at Levin Domain on Saturday, and no less than five sets of brothers were involved.
If that wasn’t enough, head coach and loose forward Ritchie Wineera said all but four of the match-day 22 were bloodrelated, with three of the remaining players marrying into the wider family.
Wineera had no doubt the family connection was the key factor in the club winning its first title since 2005.
‘‘That was the only reason we took off so well [this season] – because we all knew each other.’’
Of Saturday’s match-day 22, seven of the brothers were in the starting XV, with the other three on the bench.
Aaron and Pikau Arthur formed the inside backs combination, while Randall and Evan Bishop slotted in at fullback and prop respectively.
Wineera’s brother, Manasseh, was at openside flanker, with Ritchie Wineera a back-up loose forward; Caleb and Ian Ware were the side’s lock and reserve hooker; while TJ and Ezra Fermanis were No 8 and midfield back-up respectively.
In addition, Jorge Fermanis had played for the side at times throughout the year but had to run the water on Saturday. Prop Chase Makamaka’s brother, Tama, trained with the squad but played in the premier reserve grade.
Ritchie said the side saw a newspaper article recently about a side with three sets of brothers, and had to laugh given their squad had more.
And that wasn’t the only remarkable thing about the side’s season.
For the past two seasons, it had not even fielded a team but decided this year to call back players from Nga¯ ti Toa iwi who had been playing for various clubs in the Wellington competition.