Big Ben finding peace and power at Eagles

• By Adam Julian

This past Saturday was special for Ben Tuiomanufili. The hulking Hutt Old Boys Marist lock was Player of the Match in the Eagles’ 52-15 crushing of Pōneke at a wind-engulfed Kilbirnie Park.

The tenth round Swindale Shield fixture for the Roy Johns Trophy and the Bill Brien Challenge Trophy also celebrated the life of Pakaitore Turia, who played for both clubs.

Ben and Pakaitore were close. Together, they attended Wellington College and, in 2013, were part of a Premiership-winning First XV.

Ben Tuimanufili (back left) and Pakai Turia (front, second from left) with the winning Wellington College team in 2013.

The Turia family presented a specially carved Kaitiaki – a new award at Pōneke, aiming to acknowledge a generous, unsung hero.

Kaitiaki translates to guardian, protector, or caretaker. When gifting the taonga, Pakaitore’s father, Pahia, talked about the importance of opening up about mental health. Pursuit of clarity and peace of mind should be forefront. Those in the background or willing to lend an ear are just as vital to the functioning of a rugby club as those more widely known.

In the past year, Tuiomanufili has found greater peace. A long-sought-after debut for Wellington was followed by growing success in his new job. At the ‘Birds Nest,’ there is a growing confidence that Hutt Old Boys Marist can make a serious tilt at winning their first Jubilee Cup since 2014.

“Saturday, man, what a day, the whole week, really. It was emotional to share with Pōneke what Parks meant to us and the whole Wellington rugby community. Everybody knew him. Everybody loved him. That smile, that cheeky sense of humour, his flashy play,” Tuiomanufili mused.

“The size of the win was a surprise, honestly. It’s not that we don’t back ourselves to put out a performance like that, you just expect those games to be close.

“It’s the first time we’ve stuck to the plan this year. When Pōneke took the wind in the first half, we said we had to be ahead by 20 at halftime. You couldn’t kick the ball one way. It was hectic.

“Paki would have cracked up at the weather. He would have hated the result, but he was always a good time.”

Tuiomanufili stormed out of Wellington College, big, powerful, athletic, expectant of professional rugby success. Things didn’t transpire exactly as planned.

“I played 42 games in six seasons for Alhambra Union. I was in the Highlanders and Otago wider squads, played Otago sevens, but I was a little big for my boots in hindsight,”  Tuiomanufili rued.

“I was the guy who always got injured. People were more surprised when I was playing than when I wasn’t.

“I moved to Melbourne for three years and did sales while playing club rugby. Rebels’ coach, Kevin Foote, noticed me, and I was with them for four months. I played pre-season games in Fiji and New South Wales. The learnings in the professional environment were huge until Covid struck.”

Melbourne lockdowns were among the most brutal in the world. Yearning for home and conscious that his wife Hannah was always following him, Tuiomanufili rang his agent to ask if any opportunities existed for professional rugby in New Zealand. He wasn’t interested in Southland or Otago and was told Wellington was no change.

Consigned to a reality without professional rugby, Tuiomanufili joined Hutt Old Boys Marist in 2024 and launched a new career in real estate.

“My parents never bought a house. When I got one, I felt so dumb singing these papers that I knew nothing about. I asked 20 of my friends what a mortgage broker is, 19 of them didn’t know,” Tuiomanufili laughed.

“I got into property literacy and investment because you don’t have to be a rich person to own a house. Sure, you have to work hard, but when you talk to the right people and know what’s going on, it’s not impossible. I’ve sold houses to people in a similar situation to mine, Pasifika families who would never have dreamed of owning a house. That’s motivating and special.”

Settled off the field with two-year-old daughter Layla, Tuiomanufili caught fire for the Eagles in 2024. He was invited to play a pre-season game against Taranaki and made enough of an impression on coach Alando Soakai, the former Otago loose forward, warned him to stay ready. He was supposed to debut in the Lions’ opening round match against Auckland, but All Black Peter Lakai returned from injury.

On September 11, 2024, Tuiomanufili experienced a full-circle moment when he played for Wellington in their 32-28 win against Otago at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

I got called in during Storm week, which is three games. After all the injuries and setbacks, just to survive a season was special and to debut for Wellington in Otago against lots of my former friends. I couldn’t ask for much more. My career hasn’t been glamorous, I’m unlikely to play for Wellington again, but at least I can say I’ve had a game for the Lions,” Tuiomanufili reflected.

Tuiomanufili likely has plenty of games left in him for Hutt Old Boys Marist, who have fashioned a 7-3 record in the Swindale Shield. The Eagles should comfortably qualify for the Jubilee Cup and are beginning to fashion a formidable identity based on size and power.

“We do have the largest pack, but we’ve struggled to get it going this year. Using our size is part of the game plan. Sometimes we’re too flashy. There is nothing wrong with that, but sometimes we need to accept the cards that were dealt,” Tuiomanufili said.

The addition of former Paremata-Plimmerton outside back Khya Wilson retired from Brisbane, should bolster the Eagles while Tuiomanufili laughed his locking partner and former Samoan international Filo Paulo, “deletes people.”

This Saturday, the Eagles travel to Evans Bay Park to tackle Marist St Pat’s for the Father Cleary Shield