The rise of Vaea Fifita

Just over a year ago Vaea Fifita wasn’t wanted by the Hurricanes. That seems inexplicable now given his current reputation as one of New Zealand brightest locking talents.

Fifita is dynamic, exciting and consistent. His numbers for the season are very good. He has played 15 games (799 minutes) and impressed with his all-around workrate.

He has made 93 carries for 236-metres while beating 22 defenders. He has secured 30 lineout catches and made 89 tackles.

Fifita has tightened up his game without completely losing the wonderful natural flair he possess. His rise mirrors the resurgence of New Zealand’s oldest rugby club as I discovered in April, 2015.

In 2008 the Wellington Axemen were on the brink of extinction. The club was strapped for cash and their Premier side was held to an embarrassing 0-0 draw against Poneke Senior 2.

Former All Black Murray Mexted answered an SOS. He used his contacts and expertise to inspire a revival.

In 2012, Wellington won 21 out of 22 games and captured the Senior 2 title. In 2013, Wellington won 16 out of 20 games, earning a promotion to the Premier Swindale Shield. In 2014, Wellington won their first Swindale Shield match since 2002.

A big part of the Axemen’s resurgence has been the contribution of Vaea Fifita.

Fifita was born on the Tonga island of Vava’u. Vava’u is the home of former Tongan international Epi Taione. He was famously elected chairman of the Tongan Rugby Union in 2012, despite the fact he was running against Prime Minister Siale’ataongo Tu’ivakano.

Taione is also a Hollywood film extra and had a minor role in the Clint Eastwood rugby movie Invictus.

Fifita recalls his upbringing in Vava’u didn’t suggest such trappings existed.

“It’s a very quiet place. It’s very small.”

Fifita has never been small. Presently he stands 196cm and 107kg. He started playing rugby at the age of four, initially in the backs. Fifita explains why he is now a forward.

“I got tall and my coaches decided I would be good in the lineouts. I liked playing in the backs. I like running the ball hard.”

Fifita’s hard running captured nationwide attention. In 2010 he was selected for the Tongan under-18 team that toured New Zealand and tackled the New Zealand Schools.

Though Tonga was soundly beaten, Fifita caught the attention of Tamaki College First XV coach Richie Harris.

Harris is an Auckland rugby stalwart, recently appointed as Northland’s ITM Cup Head Coach. Harris offered Fifita a scholarship and he played in the Auckland 1A competition in 2011. Fifita recalls his first experiences of New Zealand rugby.

“It was tough. The competition was very hard and we didn’t win many games.”

Josh Syms was coach of the St. Kentigern College First XV that won the 1A competition in 2011. Presently he is an assistant coach at Hutt Old Boys Marist who last year won the Jubilee Cup in Wellington.

Despite the fact Tamaki was regulated to 1B at the end of the season, Fifita had a big impact in Auckland, Syms explains.

“We played Tamaki in Round 1 and were aimlessly kicking the ball away. Vaea fielded one of those kicks on halfway and exploded into space. Two of our defenders, including Albert Vete now playing for the Warriors, tried to ankle tap him, but he just hurdled over the top and ran away for an amazing try.”

Syms was the Auckland Under-18 coach that season. Despite the fact Fifita was 19 he tried to get him into the rep system.

“Vaea is an amazing athlete. His speed in the air and hand-eye coordination is phenomenal. He is a very destructive and instinctive footballer. He won’t grind for you, but in the right environment he can cause carnage. I can’t believe the Hurricanes or anyone else haven’t signed him.”

Interestingly Syms recruited Seta Tamanivalu and Suliasi Vunivalu from Fiji to New Zealand.

Murray Mexted spotted his raw potential when he attended the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand in Palmerston North. Mexted decided to bring him to Wellington to oversee his development first hand.

Interestingly Mexted first made a name for himself while playing Senior 3 for Tawa in the seventies.

In 2012, Fifita scored 26 tries for Wellington, including five in a single game.

Since 2013 he has played 30 games for the Axemen and scored 16 tries, alternating between lock and No.8.

Fifita has been a favourite among newspaper reporters. Since 2014 he has been eligible for 39 points in the Dominion Post Best and Fairest competition and has collected 20 points. He has been named man of the match twice this season.

He earned a place on the Wellington Sevens team in 2013 and was a star performer in the side that captured a first national title since 2002.

In 2014 he earned regular selection for the Wellington Lions. The Lions suffered their worst season ever. They lost a record ten consecutive matches and suffered record defeats to Northland, Tasman, and Counties. They employed the services of 43 players.

Fifita managed nine games and 524 minutes though, scoring two tries. At times he was explosive – just ask Taranaki hooker Rhys Marshall.

This was a respectable effort for a 22-year-old who recently became a father. Fifita says he learned a lot in the ITM Cup.

“It was great to work with Richard Watt in a tough competition. I learned lots about lineout play and got fitter.”

Surprisingly Fifita wasn’t offered a contract in the Hurricanes Wider Training Group. Instead Geoff Cridge, Hugh Renton and Christian Lloyd were preferred.

Cridge, a New Zealand under-20 lock played one game for Hawke’s Bay and was yellow-carded. School leaver Renton hasn’t played a game since October 5, 2013. Lloyd played four games for the Lions and has struggled with constant injuries.

How does Fifita feel about being snubbed?

“I don’t worry about it. I am just working hard and trying to improve with every game.”

Fifita has held down a job with a demolition company and currently installs air conditioning units. This might not be the case for very long.

Fifita has a conditional contract with Lyon Olympique, a Top 14 club in France. They have won the competition twice and currently boast George Smith, Juan Manuel Leguizamon and Stephen Brett on their books.

The contract is subject to Fifita’s final approval. It would run for two years and be worth a “considerable” amount of money according to agent Johnny Gbenda-Charles.

Fifita hopes to stay in Wellington, but clearly his form has given him options he would never have of dreamed of in Vava’u.

Vaea is the cousin of Australia rugby league representative Andrew Fifita.