Still sharp at spotting talent
Bill Sharp could be the most influential person in sport you’ve never heard of. Known as Sharpie, the 80-year-old is a legend in Wainuiomata sporting circles. All Blacks Tana Umaga and Piri Weepu are some of the many local sportspeople he has helped flourish.
He has also worked with a host of rugby league players, including Johnny Lomax, Paul Whatuira and David Faiumu, as well as world karate champions Raymond and Suzanne Yee and hockey player Niniwa Roberts. Even notoriously grumpy Australian rugby league supercoach Wayne Bennett has nice things to say about him.
The story of how Sharp got to rub shoulders with future All Blacks and NRL stars is an unlikely one.
In Scotland, Sharp was a national sprint champion, and was close to making the Commonwealth Games until a nasty back injury ended his career. A spell in the army raised his interest in travel, and in 1966 he settled in Lower Hutt, working as a painter.
He decided to try teaching, which led to a job at Wainuiomata College, where he stayed for 28 years.
He rose to prominence as a trainer for the hugely successful Wainuiomata Lions team that won two national rugby league titles. He then founded a sporting academy that produced a large number of league players who enjoyed success in the NRL.
Former All Black Weepu spent two years in the academy. It was obvious early on that he had the talent to go a long way and the potential to be a leader, Sharp said.
The Brisbane Broncos were interested in signing Weepu but Sharp told them they were wasting their time. ‘‘He had his mind set on being an All Black.’’
But of all the high-profile sportspeople he worked with, it is Whatuira he is proudest of.
Whatuira left Wainuiomata when he was 17 and eventually had a successful career, winning NRL titles with the Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers, as well as playing for the Kiwis. He initially struggled to make an impact in the NRL, and later had mental health issues.
Sharp’s biggest challenge was turning the potential he saw in so many pupils into success, so in 2007 he established The Futures Programme, targeting boys with sporting talent who needed a helping hand.
The boys are picked up at 5am and dropped off at school for a cooked breakfast, physical training and – just as importantly – some catch-up on their study. It has been hugely successful, and there is competition to get in.
He wrote his book Sharpie, Over and Out to inspire youngsters to follow in the footsteps of people like Umaga.
Whatuira features in the book, and he makes it clear that he still regards Sharp highly. ‘‘I will always love and respect this man with the Scottish accent because he helped me build strong foundations at a young age, not just to be a success in sport but most importantly the tools to be successful in life.’’
The final word in Sharp’s book goes to Bennett, who worked with him scouting talent. Asked why he liked Sharp, Bennett said it was because he was genuine and ‘‘the real deal’’.
‘‘He also cares about his students. He will go that extra yard for them. He also has strong personal discipline that allows him to keep giving. I respect those qualities.’’
Sharp was recently named a Kiwibank Local Hero for his services to sport.