Amiga Mikaele is as productive on the rugby field as he is on the job as a packer at Graeme Lowe Tannery in Hastings. Photo/Duncan Brown
Spend a few minutes with Amiga Mikaele and it doesn't take long to appreciate the passion he has for his MAC premier rugby team.
"I've got four boys and I can't wait for the day they are wearing the 10, 11, 12 and 13 jerseys for our MAC premiers together," Mikaele said.
"You and Sammy Jo only need another three boys and you'll have the entire backline," his MAC captain, Vai Kereti, quipped and a huge grin enveloped Mikaele's face.
"We'll see what happens," Mikaele replied.
His wife Sammy Jo is a cousin of former All Black flanker Tanerau Latimer. Mikaele, 30, is a brother of former Samoan Sevens rep Simaika Mikaele and they are cousins of former Wallaby and former Brumbies, Waratahs and Rebels Super Rugby player Peter Beetham who is now on the Leicester Tigers roster.
With such talent further up the family tree it's no surprise Mikaele's oldest son, six-year-old Paeralo, is a regular standout in his MAC sixth grade team. Beetham and Simaika Mikaele would have been impressed with hooker Mikaele's player-of-the-match display as MAC recorded their first win of the season in the Tui Nash Cup with an eighth round 29-28 victory against Tamatea at Bill Mathewson Park, Hastings on Saturday.
This saw Mikaele become the eighth weekly winner in the tussle to become the 2017 holder of the McDonalds-Hawke's Bay Today Club Rugby Player of the Year award. He was powerful on the carry, accurate with his lineout throws and he had a huge defensive workrate.
"Hopefully that's the turning point in our season. At the same time we know we have to lift ourselves a bit more if we want to beat Hastings Rugby and Sports at Flaxmere Park this weekend. There's quite a few of our island friends in the Hastings side who I got to know pretty well when I played for the Hawke's Bay Samoans team last year, so there will be a bit of pride on the line," Mikaele said.
"We know we've got the talent to make the semifinals in the Maddison Trophy round if we keep building. But the main goal will be to avoid the relegation playoff," Mikaele explained.
Mikaele first played for MAC in 2008 after arriving in the Bay from his village of Vailele. He has played seven seasons with the team, as he spent a couple of years in Australia.
"I got my blazer for 50 games the other week. I'm sure I've played more than 100 and Anthony will check his stats," he said, referring to club stalwart Anthony Morley.
When he started with MAC Mikaele played on the wing. He worked his way from there through the backline with regular stints at halfback and in the loose forwards before switching to the frontrow.
"I'm getting used to the hooker or loosehead prop roles these days. As long as I'm having fun and playing with the boys I'm happy," Mikaele said.
Like Kereti, Mikaele, is a team leader in the packing shed at the Graeme Lowe Tannery. Their boss, James Scott, is impressed with their work rates.
"If their productivity is as good on the rugby field as it is here at work their team should be doing well," Scott said.
Expect Ansin & Monteith Hastings Rugby and Sports to beat MAC by 15 points. In other fixtures back-to-back Nash Cup champions Hawke's Bay Insurances Limited Napier Old Boys Marist should beat Tanalised Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports by 25 at Tamatea Park, Altherm Window Systems Napier Technical should beat Progressive Meats Havelock North by six at Anderson Park, K9 Petfoods Clive should pip Carters Frame and Truss Taradale by seven at Tareha Reserve and Northfuels Central should return to the winning path with a nine-point victory against Tamatea in Waipukurau.
• MAC v Tamatea: 3, Amiga Mikaele (MAC); 2, Joel Mihaka (Tamatea); 1, Vai Kereti (MAC).
• NOBM v Clive: 3, Matt Gardiner (NOBM); 2, Tom Bywater (NOBM); 1, Josh Eden-Whaitiri (Clive).
• Havelock North v Taradale: 3, Jonty Strong (Havelock); 2, Andrew Gardner (Taradale); 1, Sam Matson (Havelock).
• Hastings v Pirate: 3, Warwick Slingsby (Hastings); 2, Aaron McPhee (Pirate); 1, Mason Emerson (Hastings).
• Technical v Central: 3, Mark Braidwood (Tech); 2, Ted Walters (Tech); 1, Tere Joel (Tech).
Leaderboard: 9 points: Isaiah Martin (Tech). 8: Jesse Paewai (Havelock). 7: Kaleb Sweet (Tech). 6: Lucas Goodin (Clive), Tom Bywater (NOBM), Fale Matamata (Hastings), Jacob Baker (Taradale), Cole Eru (Central). 5: Chris Johnston (NOBM), Ted Walters (Tech), Hayden Hann (Pirate), Wayne Lush (Havelock).