Rugby: Clive loosie Mackay Sione learns fast

Clive loosie Mackay Sione on the job as an orchard worker for Kevin Bayley Produce in Twyford. Photo/Paul Taylor

Here's a first for Hawke's Bay club rugby's weekly MVP award.

K9 Petfoods Clive loosie Mackay Sione became the seventh weekly winner in the tussle for the McDonald's-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award despite being in his first season of serious rugby.

A younger brother of former Clive and Hastings Rugby and Sports loosie Api Sione, Sione, 21, has been in New Zealand for two years.

"My only previous experience of playing was back home in Samoa on a big lawn in front of the house. We would play with mates until it got a bit rough and then we would stop. Touch was more popular than rugby," Sione recalled.

Those front-lawn battles in Nofoalii obviously prepared Sione well for his commitments with Clive. He knew he had to step up during their 55-35 win against Tamatea at the weekend as the Magpies pair of Josh Kaifa and Josh Eden-Whaitiri were both on the injured list.

"It was quite bad not having them around. I was hoping to play with them," Sione said.

Sione combined well with experienced campaigners Jesse Tuhua and Rocky Pohatu.

"It's funny that I ended up playing rugby. I've been on the waiting list for a voluntary Mormon mission and Api encouraged me to play while I was waiting. He's transferred to Australia for work permanently with his family and he only gave me a week's notice about that.

"I was gutted that I only got to play one game with him when we played Hastings. I asked what I was going to do with rugby when he left and he told me to just show up and play," Sione recalled.

"Api's last words of advice to me were make all your mistakes in the Nash Cup rounds and when the second round starts you will be on point."

Sione ranked blindside flanker as his preferred position and said he has benefited from plenty of tips from another of Clive's injured loosies, Magpie Lucas Goodin.

"I'm quite excited about the start of the Maddison Trophy round. The boys made the final last year and this year we want to win it and we will do that if we can get all the boys off the injured list and back on the field together at the same time."

An old boy of Besega College in Samoa, Sione's work keeps him busy.

"It's good that I'm down to 40-hour weeks now so I've got more time for rugby trainings. Earlier this year I was doing between 50 and 60 hours ... tractor driving and irrigation work which is physical and good for my rugby," Sione explained.

Should he continue to progress as fast as he has in his first season representative honours could be on the horizon. But Sione refused to look too far ahead.

"I just want to get better every time I play."

Another of his hobbies involves hunting expeditions with one of his orchard managers and these also help his fitness levels for rugby.

While Sione deserved the weekly award there have been some significant changes on the leaderboard.

The leader for the past three weeks, Auto Super Shoppe Hastings Rugby and Sports prop Aleki Vuki, has been overtaken by MAC fullback Johnny Ika and in-form WIT Napier Old Boys Marist captain and openside flanker Chris Johnston.

Best & fairest

Clive v Tamatea:

3, Mackay Sione (Clive); 2, Sasa Tofilau (Clive); 1, Lincoln McClutchie (Tamatea).

NOBM v Taradale:

3, Chris Johnston (NOBM); 2, Ellery Wilson (NOBM); 1, Johnny Lauano (NOBM).

Napier Technical v Hastings:

3, Mark Braidwood (Tech); 2, Folau Fakatava (Hastings); 1, Timo Vaiusu (Hastings).

MAC v Pirate:

3, Johnny Ika (MAC); 2, Al Momoisea (Pirate); 1, Teina Huia (MAC).

Leaderboard:

9 points: Chris Johnston (NOBM), Johnny Ika (MAC). 8: Aleki Vuki (Hastings). 6: Hannon Brighouse (NOBM), Mark Braidwood (Tech). 5: JJ Taulagi (Tech), Sam Weber (NOBM), Danny Toala (Hastings), Lincoln McClutchie (Tamatea). 4: Timo Vaiusu (Hastings), William McGoon, Jacob Stephenson (both Havelock North), Everard Reid (Tamatea).