John Hill in his Ngati Porou East Coast shirt. Picture by Paul Rickard
He whanau kotahi tatou Nati . . . We are one family.
I wasn't there when the East Coast Rugby Football Union was formed 100 years ago but I wouldn't be surprised if similar words were spoken.
Former Ngati Porou East Coast skipper Wirihana Raihania said those words before leading his team out to play Manawatu in a must-win game in Palmerston North to secure a home semifinal in the second division of the national provincial championship in 2001.
The result?
A nailbiting but fully deserved 24-22 win against a team the Coast had never beaten.
This was followed by a resounding 21-12 victory over Nelson Bays (another historic win) to book a final date with the mighty Magpies from Hawke's Bay at McLean Park in Napier.
The Coast lost 30-27 despite outscoring the home side five tries to two.
The Sky Blues lost the final but won the hearts of everyone.
But let's rewind the clock a few years to 1999, when Joe McClutchie's men upstaged their biggest rivals, Poverty Bay, in the NPC third division final at Whakarua Park, Ruatoria.
This was the start of a dream run by the country's smallest rugby union in size but biggest in wairua (spirit), and resulted in some of the best sporting headlines in The Gisborne Herald.
I must confess the headline writer was Herald sports editor at the time Chris Taewa — headlines Coast supporters thought I had written because my name was on the reports. So thanks, Chris, for making me a hit with the players and fans alike.
McClutchie's goal was to build a team of Ngati Porou players, along with some honorary “Nati” players, and he took them up Mt Hikurangi to bond.
Playing for the jersey, for their people, was a motivating factor in all East Coast teams.
“We play for the jersey, for pride, not money,” former Coast player Tyrone Delamere said. “It's hands up, not out.”
Back to the 1999 final.
Whakarua Park was packed, complete with Coast-style corporate boxes — flat-deck utes with sofa “grandstands” and predominantly Steinlager-filled bars.
The wahine in the grandstand stood singing and dancing as players walked on to the pitch. It was the first of many occasions that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Coast first five-eighth Victor Taingahue wrote his name into Coast history with the drop goal that separated the teams, 18-15, at the end of 80 minutes.
The Herald headlines were Victor-ious; Cool Coast give Reds the Blues.
The second headline was in reference to the fact that while the Bay players prepared in close to 30 degrees on the Whakarua Park ground, sapping their energy, McClutchie's men warmed up indoors.
McClutchie, who regarded the players as sons and the team as family, went from player to player, encouraging them, telling them what he wanted from them as individuals while reminding them who they were playing for.
“Who are we?” he would ask.
“Nati . . . East Coast,” was the response. The more he asked, the louder the reply.
While I can't take credit for the headlines CT (Taewa) wrote, I can tell you of the pre-match predictions of the Herald sports department of the time.
The late, great John Heikell said the Bay, 24-19, the sports editor also tipped the Bay, 25-22. The former soccer player turned rugby writer saw it differently, 20-17 to the Coast.
OK, the score was wrong but the result was right.
This was all based on the performance of a magnificent forward pack who destroyed title favourites and previous competition leaders North Otago that season.
The Coast team that famous day from 1-15 were Sam Matenga (deceased), Derek Leefe, Quentin Carmichael, Inia Roko, Kele Leawere, Toka Liku, Horace Lewis (deceased) Wirihana Raihania (captain), John Nukunuku, Victor Taingahue, Koro Ngarimu, Setariki Kaunicaramaki, Tyrone Delamere, Maika Vere, Doone Harrison. Reserves were Arthur Green, Ben Reedy, Graeme Walker, Bailey Mackey, Morgan Waitoa (making his 103rd appearance), Huki Wilson ((deceased), Marijan Manuel. Assistant coach was Eli Manuel, manager was Anthony Nelson, physio was Roger Main and masseur was Jum Reedy.
More great headlines were to follow as the Coast became the darlings of the local and national press as they continued to rewrite the history books with exciting rugby, strong defence, a magnificent rolling maul and backline flair.
“They may have won the 1999 final but they won't win this year (2000)” said some Bay supporters . . . they were wrong.
Again the Coast defied all the odds, travelling to Oamaru to defend their title against North Otago, who were the favourites.
Time for another Herald headline: YOU BEAUTIES: Flutey on song as comeback kings win back-to-back NPC div 3 titles.
Dare I say it, The Herald got it right again in its pre-match prediction, going even further by saying the kicking duel between Mano Flutey and his counterpart Simon Porter could decide the final. Flutey scored 20 points in a 25-21 victory after the Coast trailed 21-9.
The return of the victorious team was another one of those special moments for this reporter, who was at the airport to meet McClutchie's men.
At first there were only a few supporters present but as news filtered through that the team were on their way, the crowd increased until the airport was packed.
Guitars came out and, accompanied by some liquid refreshments, the music started.
When the plane landed, the True Blue supporters burst into spontaneous and emotionally charged waiata that sent a shiver down my spine.
That welcome was just for the supporters who had travelled to Oamaru. What was it going to be like when the team arrived?
The players were not due until 10.45pm. Surely the fans would not wait around.
They did, and the numbers grew until the plane finally arrived at 11pm.
As the players and management walked slowly towards the welcoming party the volume rose to a crescendo and then came another sight I did not expect to see — the humility and reverence of the players' response.
Here was a group of players who only hours earlier had created history, winning back-to-back titles. There was no fist-pumping, no jumping up and down, no hollering, no two-fingered (for two titles in a row) salutes, no shirts hanging out or ties undone.
Instead they stood, heads bowed, some close to tears, as they respectfully acknowledged the reception.
Then it was time for the players to respond.
Proud to be Ngati Porou, proud of his whanau, McClutchie stepped back from the limelight and let the players show their appreciation.
“When you see support like that it makes you want to play for them,” he said.
The win meant promotion to the second division and a chance to take on the big boys.
“They'll get slaughtered” was the general opinion of many non-Nati supporters.
Fast forward to October 21 and despite all the critics, McClutchie and his men had earned the right to play Hawke's Bay in the final.
Win and they would get the chance to play the cream of New Zealand's rugby teams.
Was there no end to this fairy-tale run?
There was — a loss to Hawke's Bay but let me tell you about that day.
Herald photographer Paul Rickard, my wife Jennifer and I travelled down to the game. As we headed south the balloons and banners that adorned the route from Tolaga Bay to Ruatoria the previous week for the semifinal had been taken down and put back up along the highway to Napier and McLean Park.
“If you didn't know any better you would think we were going the wrong way,” Rick said.
“Do you think there will be as many as there were last week?” Jennifer asked.
That question was answered emphatically when we arrived at the ground at 12 noon, two and a half hours before kick-off.
As we approached McLean Park we could hear the singing.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” an elderly carpark attendant asked. “I've been here since 9.30 and they started coming, then asking for tickets and wanting to know when the gates would open.
“Do you think there will be many more coming?” he added with a look that suggested he wished he had taken the day off.
The crowds continued to grow as the True Blue fans were determined to fill the ground.
After a lovely meal and some refreshments — no flat-deck ute grandstands here — it was time to sort out some seats.
Should we stay with the invited guests or go to the media room?
Rick suggested Jennifer and I go to the stand opposite, where all the noise was coming from, but it looked to be overflowing.
“We'll never get a seat in there,” Jennifer said.
“Go on Hiller, they'll find a seat for you,” Rick said.
They did. How, I don't know. But we soon joined in with the cheering and singing.
Radio commentator Murray Deaker was almost pleading with Hawke's Bay fans to go to the game as all he could see was sky blue colours around the ground.
At the fulltime whistle, Coast supporters invaded the field to salute their players with a rousing haka.
Ngati Porou East Coast chairman Bill Burdett, who had been through the hard times with the union, was almost overcome with emotion watching this and a haka from the players themselves in tribute to their supporters.
“What other team goes to their supporters at the end of a game like this, so close to winning, to do the haka. No matter how disappointed, no matter how tired, they acknowledge the supporters.”
The late Api Mahuika said to me, “Well John, we may have lost on the scoreboard but that's about the only place we lost today. Today was a victory for Ngati Porou.
“As we have been humble in victory throughout the season, we can be magnanimous in defeat. We congratulate Hawke's Bay on their victory.”
Skipper Wirihana Raihania said the haka was not for the opposition.
“It is for our supporters, it is for ourselves, it's who we are, where we are from, it's for our whanau.”
Some lean times followed but come 2012, Ngati Porou East Coast were back in the limelight and back among The Gisborne Herald headlines, thanks to player-coaches Ngarimu Simpkins and Rua Tipoki.
Having lost the 2011 Meads Cup final to Wanganui, the Coast made the 2012 decider and again their opponents were Wanganui. Only this time the game was in Ruatoria.
With 15 minutes remaining, Wanganui led 27-3 and the home supporters were stunned.
A try to TK Moeke looked like being a consolation effort but when Ziggy Fisiihoi scored shortly after, the chant went up: “Nati . . . East Coast . . . Nati . . . East Coast.”
Mike King added another five-pointer and with first-five John Semple having slotted three conversions, the gap was only three points.
The Coast had the opportunity to level the scores when they were awarded a kickable penalty 30 metres in from the left wing.
With the crowd screaming “take the points”, Simpkins instead took a quick tap and fired the ball out towards the right wing, Semple threw a cut-out pass to winger Verdon Bartlett, who scored in the corner — 29-27 to the Coast with time up.
It was surely the greatest comeback in the history of the Meads Cup and made the front and back page of The Herald.
Following the win, someone said the mana of the maunga had been restored.
Truth is, the mana of Mt Hikurangi was never lost. It has always been there.
Why have I not mentioned many players? Because there is not the room in this article to do so without disrespecting some of the many great players over the Coast's 100 years.
But for their parts, McClutchie and “Nanny” Kath McLean deserve special attention.
McClutchie was New Zealand Rugby Awards Coach of the Year in 1999 — not just third division coach but overall coach, beating out Wayne Pivac, who led Auckland to the first division title.
McClutchie was also named Maori Coach of the Year in 2001, heading off former All Black captain and North Harbour coach Buck Shelford and Waikato's national championship-winning basketball coach Jeff Green.
“It's the greatest honour I could ever receive,” McClutchie said after accepting the Te Maru o Tumatauenga Trophy.
“I'm proud to be Maori and this award is the pinnacle for me.
“But it's not just about me. I accept this award on behalf of everyone I have worked with over the years. I'm just the coach. There are a lot of people who work behind the scenes.”
In 2001, long-serving Coast administrator “Nanny” Kath (now deceased) was honoured with a Services to Rugby award by the International Rugby Board.
Despite having suffered a minor stroke, she and Coast union chief executive Anthony Nelson travelled to London to accept her award.
I was invited to be a part of the Coast squad who went to Palmerston in 2001 to play Manawatu and saw first-hand the esteem in which she was held by everyone connected with the Coast.
It was Nanny Kath this, Nanny Kath that, don't you be lifting those bags, we'll do it for you, have you had enough to eat, we'll look after you.
The players could not do enough for her.