Zoe Clark and Wainuiomata Women’s team making positive start to new season

Captain Zoe Clark (centre) and teammates discuss tactics during a break in play last Saturday in their win over Oriental-Rongotai. Photo: T-Paul Gale.

• By Adam Julian

Something seismic happened in the Rebecca Liua’ana trophy last Saturday. Wainuiomata beat Oriental Rongotai 31-24. It was the first time since 2016 that Wainuiomata had toppled the Magpies. In that season, Wainuiomata won the Tia Paasi Memorial Trophy as overall senior champions. Ories have won three championships since 2017.

Wainuiomata captain Zoe Clark debuted in that meritorious 2016 season. Unfortunately, she sustained a serious hamstring injury which sidelined her for the best part of two years. She rated Saturday as one of her best victories in green and black.

“We weren’t the favourites to win. Ories are a great team, very structured and organised. It was a close game, back-and-forth tries. Lamai Mataiti scored a try in the 79th minute which finally sealed it,” Clark said.

“We’ve started two from two. We beat Avalon by 20-12 in the first round. That was another tough game. We’ve got a young team, but the talent is exciting, and the numbers are up on last year.”

Clark scored a try in the Avalon win. Typically, a lock or loose forward, Clark is playing hooker for safety reasons in 2024.

“Pasikalia Tuia is supposed to be a hooker. She throws to the lineouts, but she’s only 17 which means she’s not allowed to scrum in the front row,” Clark explained.

“Pasikalia is a beast, an explosive player who tackles ruthlessly and can hit the whole lineout. She’ll be finally in the scrums as an adult.

“There are about 10 teenagers in our team. Our young backs aren’t scared of anything. Billie Va’a got two tries against Ories on Saturday.

“We’ve had presentations for debutants at the club where I’ve had to remind some members the girls are not old enough to drink. Thank goodness they don’t have to drink out of the boot the boys do. That thing never gets washed. The girls are happy with a diet coke and high five,” Clark laughed.

Interestingly Billie Va’a (16) is the daughter of former Samoan international Earl Va’a. Her brother TJ Va’a played for the Wellington Lions. Justin, David, Atilla, and Billie Va’a are others with the same surname to play for Wainuiomata though they aren’t all related.

Tragically, defending Tia Passi Cup Memorial champions Marist St Pat’s were unable to field a team this season. The same thing happened to Wainuiomata in 2017.

In 2017 Wainuiomata imploded when a core group of senior players either retired or shifted to other clubs for a new challenge. Numbers were slow to build up again and then Covid threw another spanner in the works.

Wainuiomata joined forces with Hutt Old Boys Marist last year and won the Izzy Ford second division trophy. In the final, Wainuiomata beat Paremata-Plimmerton 22-17 in an intense struggle at NZCIS in Trentham. The senior men’s team watched the first half of the decider before scrambling onto a bus and over the hill to reach their fixture on time.

“We’ve merged twice, once with Avalon and last year with Hutt. Hutt were a good bunch of ladies, and we got on well. The first round wasn’t great but as soon we developed connections and culture we started to play well,” Clark said.

“The final was nerve-wracking. We lost our hooker Nesa Galuefa and first-five Mary-Ann Collins injured in the first 10 minutes. When I spoke to the girls in a huddle, I said we must step up and do their work. They’ll be shattered not to be here.

“It was 17-17 in the last minute when we had a 5-metre scrum. I said to Kiri Gronbeck playing number eight I’d like to call Matrix if you have the energy. Matrix is run off the back of the scrum. It was unbelievable when she scored her second try and we won.”

At William Jones Park, the Wainuiomata men were waiting for their champions, and the women were received with a guard of honour and a special presentation.

“I appreciate that about the club, males support females, and females support males. The bonds are strong, but that night was special because they made it about us,” Clark said.

Wainuiomata has enough numbers to go alone in 2024, crucially giving younger players a chance to showcase their talent and forge an identity. Mergers are never off the table but preferably avoided.

Clark is about as staunchly ‘Wainui’ as you get. She started playing junior rugby for the club when she was five. At Wainuiomata High School she was involved in the First team whatever incarnation it took.

In addition to captaining the premier women’s side, Clark is club gear steward and serves on the building and maintenance and rugby committees.

One of eight siblings, Clark has gained two stepchildren in her current relationship. She works for New Zealand Food Safety where her community-minded focus helps keep the public safe from dodgy cuisine.

This Saturday the Wainuiomata Women’s team is on the road to play Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngati Toa Domain at 11.30am.