Barefoot flair echoes Coast in a Whakarua Park touch

YOUNG HURRICANE: Lock Isaia Walker-Leawere made his debut for the Hurricanes off the bench last year. File picture by Paul Rickard

RUGBY

STEPPING past a defender and scoring a try for the Hurricanes against the Blues reminded Isaia Walker-Leawere of what it felt like playing rugby when he was a boy in Ruatoria.

“It was kind of like when I was little at Whakarua Park, running around in bare feet,” he said.

Walker-Leawere was part of a young Hurricanes team who overcame the Blues 29-24 in Wellington last Saturday and the big lock scored an eye-catching try, swerving and sprinting about 25 metres before diving over.

“I remember thinking ‘just have a jam’ and it all just happened.”

Walker-Leawere, 22, a former student of Gisborne Boys’ High School, said it was fun to get on the park with the other youngsters.

“It was cool because we all kind of got brought up through the grades together and now everyone is getting their chance.”

Walker-Leawere was part of the New Zealand under-20 team who won the World Championship in Georgia in 2017.

He made his debut for the Hurricanes off the bench last year against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra and also played for the Maori All Blacks.

This year, he has been a regular in the playing 23 for the Wellington-based Super Rugby team and has had some starts for the side.

Walker-Leawere said he was happy with how his career was progressing, though there were always areas where he could improve.

Poverty Bay and former Gisborne Boys’ High School first 15 coach Tom Cairns said Walker-Leawere was “massive” when he was at school.

The flair he showed in his try against the Blues was “par for the course”.

“He was a superstar at school — big and powerful,” Cairns said.

Walker-Leawere said Cairns played a big part in his development, on and off the field.

“He looked after me when I was at school and actually still looks after me now,” Walker-Leawere said.

“Every time I do something good or bad, he’s always the first to let me know.”

Walker-Leawere has played his provincial rugby for the Wellington Lions since 2016 but will wear the colours of the Hawke’s Bay Magpies this year after signing a three-year contract.

His father, Kele Leawere, co-captained Fiji at the Rugby World Cup in 2007.

Walker-Leawere said he tried to make trips home to the Gisborne region as much as he could but that was difficult from Wellington.

“Hopefully, I’ll get back more when I move to Hawke’s Bay for the Mitre 10 Cup.”

The Hurricanes have made nine changes to their side ahead of their quarterfinal clash with the Bulls in Wellington tonight but Walker-Leawere has kept his spot.