Proud Ioane brothers determined to put Lions to the sword again
One glimpse inside the Maori All Blacks team room illuminates the powerful mystique that makes the Kiwi warriors so hard to beat.
Team rooms across the globe are often no more than converted conference centres in faceless hotels. The Maori, however, turn their team base into “Marae” – sacred meeting grounds and community focal points – complete with ornately carved totems.
Brothers Akira and Rieko Ioane sunk the British and Irish Lions in the Auckland Blues’ 22-16 win on 7 June, and will now chase a repeat in Maori colours in Rotorua today.
Flanker Liam Messam believes the Maori are “bound by blood”, but the Ioanes relish their actual family ties – and hail their former Samoa lock and dad Eddie Ioane as a key driving force behind their rapid ascent through New Zealand’s ranks.
“The connection that the Maori All Blacks have is special and something you won’t find anywhere else,” said flying wing Rieko Ioane.
“We decorate our team room in the style of a Marae. That’s different from how any other team operates. It keeps us connected by one purpose which is our culture and where we come from. It’s special and certainly enhances the way we play on the field.”
A traditional Maori Marae would operate as community centre, food hall, a place to stay – but above all the spiritual home of a particular tribe.
The Maori All Blacks work hard to extol their cultural virtues, and the Ioane brothers believe the team derives huge power from this approach.
“We have our pillars of what keeps us together,” said Rieko. “Those special Maori customs give us a boost as players and it just adds to that special feeling we have as a team.”
Back-rower Akira and wing Rieko admit they owe their careers to their dad, who coached them right through junior rugby at Auckland’s famed Ponsonby RFC.
Akira says his father keeps the tight-knit brothers humble despite their fastimproving careers. “Dad’s our harshest critic; we may think we’ve had a good game but then we speak to Dad and we change our minds!” said Akira.
“He’ll offer little pointers for things we could have done better.
“You’re never going to have a perfect game of course. But it’s massive for us to know that Dad’s always there to bring us down from the clouds.
“He’ll tell you straight, he’s one that you trust, and his words, they stick.”
The Maori claimed their first-ever win over the Lions back in 2005, and the Ioanes still cannot quite believe they have the chance to match that feat.
“I never even thought we’d ever play the Lions,” said Akira. “And the chance to play them twice in three weeks, that’s awesome.
“It’s such a big game, we owe big performances to so many people. And we just can’t wait.”