Mana, McBain, Winner, Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson

Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson gets his kick away in a recent match for HOBM against Paremata-Plimmerton. On Saturday they meet Petone for the McBain Shield. Photo: Andy McArthur.

Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson has an air of authority that draws people in. He wasn’t always outspoken, but the tough, talented, versatile, diligent, honest, and articulate Hutt Old Boys Marist halfback or first-five rose from quiet achiever to captain of the 2025 Jubilee Cup-winning team.

“I think it was always there,” Tuhoro-Robinson responded when asked about leadership.

“Becoming a captain has been about growing in confidence and having good people around me. Brandyn Laursen, Jordan Gillies, and Lise Soloa are experienced guys you can lean on for support. They also taught me to be comfortable in my own skin.

“I like to lead with action, pick the right time to speak, and most importantly, care for the club and the players as people on and off the field.”

After the Eagles’ 29-21 victory over Tawa in the 25’ decider, he enjoyed a brief celebration with his teammates before driving more than 10 hours from Lower Hutt to Rangitukia. Rangitukia is a rural settlement on the East Coast, 150 km north of Gisborne. He went there for the tangi of his koro, Karam.

“It was a whirlwind time,” Tuhoro-Robinson mused. “Koro died on Wednesday and my family left on Saturday, so none of them made the final. Koro got my Dad into rugby and my Dad got me into rugby, so playing a Jubilee final was special.

“That week, my teammates got around me for support, as I’d try to support them in similar situations. I left at 9.00pm and arrived in Rangitukia at 10.00am for an 11.00am service. Koro is buried around the corner from George Nepia.”

HOBM captain Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson lifting the Jubilee Cup high last July, surrounded by teammates and supporters. Photo: Andy McArthur.

Waylon’s father, Daniel, played in much healthier days for Avalon. Avalon won the Swindale Shield in 1991, 1993 and 2001 and were Jubilee Cup semi-finalists in 1995, 2003 and 2004. Waylon was an Avalon junior and played for the Wolves after leaving St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, with two Wellington Premierships in 2017 and 2018.

Glory hasn’t been easily achieved in senior rugby. Tuhoro-Robinson, employed by coach Otto Rasch’s construction company Straight Forward Building Solutions, was part of the Hutt sides that crashed out of the Jubilee Cup semi-finals in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Furthermore, it took him five attempts to win the coveted McBain Shield for the regular season clash against Hutt’s biggest rivals, Petone.

Heading into the 2026 McBain, Petone are top of the Swindale Shield table with a 9-1 record, including seven wins in a row, with five scoring 50 or more points. Hutt are second, six points adrift in the standings with a 7-3 record.

“My first one was in 2020, and we went down 32-24. In 2023 and 2024, we got absolutely thrashed. Last year was special because it was the first one we won since 2021,” Tuhoro-Robinson said.

“We got a roll on early, sticking to our strengths, which are our big forwards and found some space out wide. The build-up to this year is not dissimilar, actually. We lost the game before against Upper Hutt, perhaps a little guilty of looking too far ahead, but also that was a catalyst to really deliver a performance we were proud of.”

Tuhoro-Robinson has bittersweet memories about his role in the 2022 “McBain Miracle.”

With the scores tied 20-20 and the clock expired, Hutt’s first five Brandyn Laursen was positioned for a drop-kick attempt to win the match. Tuhoro-Robinson delivered the pass to the sharpshooter, which was instead charged down by Tupou Sopoaga, with Sam Blackburn scoring an outrageous try at the other end.

“I knew you were going to bring that up,” Tuhoro-Robinson laughed. “I’m haunted by that.”

“I haven’t watched it back many times, but what I recall is we did pick and go for about 20 metres. We were patient, but we weren’t cracking them. About three phases before the charge down, Brandyn called for a ball, but the Manaia boys went for the carry. I thought maybe we might wear them down.

“When I passed to Brandyn, I was pretty confident he’d kick the goal. He was our captain and, in my view, the best player in the competition. It was unfortunate how it all happened. All I remember was the crowd going nuts and our starting halfback, Connor Collins, on the wing. When Sam Blackburn got the bounce, I knew it was all over. McBain is like that, anything can happen.”

Above: Waylon Tuhoro-Robinson scores against MSP in 2024.

McBain Shield