Maiava leading from the back for Ories in Swindale Shield

Oriental-Rongotai fullback Tom Maiava chasing the action in his side’s win over Tawa this past Saturday. Photo: Andy McArthur.

• By Steven White

“If we win, we win, if we don’t we learn, it is always God’s plan for us, and we trust that,” Oriental-Rongotai fullback Tom Maiava summed up his team’s fortunes this year, when talking with Club Rugby earlier this week.

“There’s a lot of good teams out there and the competition is tough. We don’t worry about anyone else; we just focus on us and our process and the rest goes from there.”

A successful mantra, as Oriental-Rongotai are unbeaten and at the top of the Swindale Shield points table after five rounds. Maiava’s good early season form is a notable reason why.

After a few years away from Wellington during which he was laid low for a year with a serious knee injury and then bounced back to represent Samoa in sevens at last year’s Paris Olympics, Maiava is enjoying being back in Wellington and giving back to his friends, his family, his faith and his club.

Leaders Ories shape as the team to beat for first round title honours and as a leading contender to win the championship Jubilee Cup at the end of July.

This past Saturday, they were 39-22 winners over Maiava’s former team, Tawa, conceding a converted try on fulltime that closed up a convincing win for the home team at the Polo Ground.

Maiava says that the team is pleased with their start but are firmly grounded.

“We are at a happy place at the moment. We backed the hard work we have done since late last year in pre-season. All the late nights and early mornings that the boys have put in are coming to fruition at the start of the new season.”

“In saying that, we are not satisfied and sitting back on our start – it’s just five rounds in and anything can happen with still eight rounds of quality rugby to win this competition.”

The next two weeks sees Ories play Marist St Pat’s at home a the Polo Ground, in what is always a gritty encounter between two teams that know each other well through school, family and church ties, and Petone for the Jim Brown Memorial Trophy in another traditional match-up.

The 2011 and 2023 Jubilee Cup champions have never won the Swindale Shield, which has been running continuously since 1969, and if they win their next two games then their supporters could start to think about this too.

On a personal level, Maiava has started the season in top form, at fullback – his favourite position.

“Fullback is a pressure position; you have got to catch balls and you the last line in the defence. I want that pressure and it is where I feel like my game can grow.  I love that mindset that I am going to be the one that is going to make that last tackle or cover that kick.”

He is also doing the goal-kicking and is the competition’s leading points scorer after five rounds with 68 points, ahead of Tomasi Connor (MSP) 60, Andew Wells (Wainuiomata) 54) and Esi Komaisavai (Pare-Plim) 50 (all in tries).

He loves playing with some of his teammates, who seem to take turns in expressing themselves on the field.

“We have got a good balance, as well as our experienced players who are a big part of our team, there is a there is a good group of young guys really playing well at the moment.”

Players coming through like prop Salesa Seumanufagai, flanker David Leota-Johnson and outside back Daiel Tafili have all contributed plenty so far.

“It is also down to our amazing coaches, Whetu, Fale and Poasa, and our management staff, Ili, Will and Emma. Not forgetting the best Ories supporters and wider family who are with us through all the highs and lows. We appreciate them so much.”

Faith is a strong factor in the Ories culture.

“That is something that we all share. Our faith in God is pretty strong. It is always God first, us second and rugby third. The rugby is not at the forefront of what we do; our gifts are not from us individually, we don’t just wake up and we’re gifted, that is something that the Lord gives us.

“We also have seven plus sets of brothers at Ories and we value that as a strength of ours. It is these things that make us feel valued and helps make us the club that we are today.”

Tom Maiava scores a try against Northern United a few weeks ago.

Tom is relishing playing with his younger brother Johnny in the Premiers squad.

“Johnny and I have played all five rounds together, he has come off the bench a few times.

“That is probably the highlight of my week. Winning is nice, but getting out there with my little brother every week and to watch him grow as well that gets me up as well. I don’t want to let him down.”

Maiava is still in his mid-20s but has packed plenty into rugby resume.

He started at Bishop Viard College and then transferred to Wellington College for his last year in school in 2017.

Maiava playing for Bishop Viard College in year 12 in 2016. Photo: Andy McArthur.

He joined Tawa in 2018 and played three seasons for them and earned 46 Premier caps, and was a Wellington Academy member.

Wanting to extend himself he moved to Waikato and spent a season playing for Hautapu.

This preceded a move to Sydney in 2022 where he joined Shute Shield club Randwick, before a major injury set him back for a year.

“Halfway through 2022 I tore my ACL, PCL and MCL and broke my fibula and a few other little injuries all around my knee, which kept me out for a year.”

Major setbacks. But he bounced back in style.

“In May 2023 I came back and played five games in Sydney, then I was blessed enough to get the opportunity to go to Samoa and trial for the Samoa 7s squad.”

He made his debut for Samoa 7s debut at the Pacific Rim tournament in the middle of that year and featured in their squad for the next year culminating in playing in the Paris Olympics.

“That was amazing, and I was truly grateful and blessed to get to experience that, representing my people and my family on one of the biggest stages of the world.”

Prior to that he returned to Wellington and played three matches in June for his new club Oriental-Rongotai.

The move to Ories was in part because of his partner, Ories women’s player Fa’asua Makisi, and because his brother Johnny was also there, as well as wider family who are at the club.

“I came back because I had been away for some long and wanted to be around my family and be grounded again. I wanted to come back and just be around them and fill my cup.”

He was picked up by the Wellington Lions and played four NPC matches for them, including a debut off the bench in a 36-12 win against Southland at Porirua Park and a first start on the right wing in their midweek 32-28 win over Otago in Dunedin.

“I had no idea about the Lions when I came back. I was just asked if I wanted to play in the Centurions [Lions Development team]. Sevens is a lot of running and a lot fitness and I was keen to get back into 15s again.

From there he was called into the Lions for those games. “The opportunity came up to debut in Porirua, which is my hometown. I was in the Academy in 2018 so to come back a few years later it was my god’s time, not my time. Every kid in Wellington wants to grow up and play for the Lions and the Hurricanes so that was awesome.”

As well as seeing where his rugby can go from here, Maiava is focused on helping the next generation come through – so one way or another look out for his continuing influence on local rugby for a few years to come.

Marist St Pat’s v Oriental-Rongotai, Saturday 10 May, 2.45pm, Polo Ground.