Houkamau sets clock for retirement

CAPTAIN’S RUN: Ken Houkamau, in action against Ngati Porou East Coast at Queen’s Birthday Weekend, will lead Poverty Bay in a pre-season game against Central Bay of Plenty tomorrow. File picture by Paul Rickard

Poverty Bay rugby captain Ken Houkamau will hang up his boots at the end of the representative season.

Houkamau, 32, played his last game for his club team, Pirates-GMC, on Saturday, and they lost 40-21 to High School Old Boys.

He plans to retire after Poverty Bay’s 2019 Heartland campaign.

The loose forward or lock said his body was “too broken for another year”, as his back had been troubling him and his knees were “dodgy”.

His children are also into their sports and he is keen to spend time with them.

Houkamau was named Pirates-GMC forward of the year on Saturday.

He said he hoped to stay involved through the club committee.

Houkamau won titles with Pirates in 2012 and 2014 and, when they did not field a team last year, he played for Waikohu and helped them win their first title.

Pirates and GMC combined this year to get a team on the park in the Poverty Bay club premier competition and Houkamau led the side.

They were unable to chalk up a win but Houkamau has said joining them was a “no-brainer”.

Houkamau said the club titles in 2012, 2014 and 2018 were highlights, along with captaining the newly formed Pirates-GMC side this year.

Poverty Bay coach Tom Cairns named Houkamau as captain before the Queen’s Birthday Weekend match against Ngati Porou East Coast last month.

Houkamau played at lock in that game and Poverty Bay won 27-19.

Pirates-GMC player-coach Willie Waitoa said Houkamau was a good club man and led by example.

Getting him back from Waikohu this year was “awesome”.

Pirates-GMC will have a debrief after the playoffs about their season and begin planning for next year.