Conrad Kutia carrying on two traditions

Conrad Kutia. Picture supplied by Defence Public Affairs

Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Able Electronics Technician Conrad Kutia, of Ngati Porou, is carrying on his family's legacy of service and a love of rugby.

The 23-year-old utility back from Gisborne is part of the RNZN Te Taua Moana rugby squad competing in the Commonwealth Navy Rugby Cup (CNRC) tournament in the United Kingdom this month.

“My grandfather, Casey Wanoa, was a Māori All Black and played for Bay of Plenty and he was my inspiration for playing rugby,” Kutia said.

“My uncles and sister have all served in the Navy and my brother was a part of the last Commonwealth Cup team three years ago, so it's awesome to be a part of this team and to be carrying on that legacy for my family.”

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the triennial CNRC tournament that was first played in 1997 and is traditionally contested by the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Kutia has been playing rugby for the Navy since he joined from Gisborne Boys' High School in 2016.

“In my day job in the Navy, I'm working at the Sea Safety Training Squadron, where we're teaching new recruits and current members of the Navy what to do in emergency situations on ships, such as fires and floods,” he said.

“It's cool to see people progress through the ranks in the Navy. And then it's cool to be able to play rugby to represent the Navy too.”

This year, five Fijian and three Tongan navy personnel have joined Te Taua Moana, or “Warriors of the Sea”.

Kutia said rugby was a passion shared with New Zealand's Pacific neighbours and they brought a fresh perspective to the team.

“It's awesome to have our Pacific partners with us,” he said

“They add huge value to our team and it gives us an insight into how they play rugby. It's awesome to play their style of rugby as well.”

Te Taua Moana Contingent Commander, Captain Richard Walker, said the participation of the Navy's Pacific partners would enrich the tournament.

“The Pacific is our front yard and a significant percentage of our operational deployments occur in the region,” he said.

“This is a great opportunity to reinforce the existing strong ties between our partner navies and bring our sailors together through their love of rugby to form a joint Te Taua Moana team.”