Wakely Shield: The next Waenga-Giddens generation steps up

Luca Waenga, left, and Nico Giddens will be key players in the Napier West team during next week's Wakely Shield rugby tournament in Taradale.

Remember the exploits of Dan Waenga and Sam Giddens in Hawke’s Bay Magpies rugby teams almost a couple of decades ago?

They were a more than handy first five-eighth/second five-eighth combination and both played more than 30 first-class games for the Magpies. Waenga’s son Luca and Giddens’ son Nico will play in the same positions as their respective fathers when they turn out for Napier West in the 21st edition of the Wakely Shield Under-50kgs tournament at Tareha Reserve next week.

Expect to see plenty of similarities between them and their dads. Both of them are good directors of play.

Like his father at the same age, Luca, boasts a tremendous skillset. Nico does the basics well, like his father did, and in particular looks after his outside backs.

Twelve-year-old Taradale Intermediate School Year 8 student and Napier Old Boys’ Marist club player Nico said second five-eighth is the only position he likes to play.

“I get to run the ball a lot and I am involved in a lot of the moves.”

He agreed he and Luca combine well with their control of play and this is a result of quality communication between the pair. They believed Napier West had a good chance of winning the tournament.

“I want to make the Magpies like Dad did and hopefully go further,” added Nico, who also hopes to become a barber.

Luca has an extra incentive to help Napier West finish on top of the podium next week. His older brother Riley, who played for the Napier Boys’ High School 1st XV this year, played for the 2021 Napier West side that won the Wakely Shield.

Eleven-year-old Luca, who is a Year Six student at Porritt Primary School, agreed the communication between himself and Nico is a key ingredient in their thriving combination.

“We know what each other is going to do because of the way we communicate with each other.”

The Taradale club player is also happy to play at halfback and second five-eighth in the backline and wouldn’t turn down a stint in the No 7 jersey if it was offered. Luca hopes to follow the same path as his father and gain Magpies and national age group team selection in the future.

“Making the All Blacks is the long-term goal,” Luca added.

Taking into account what his father achieved, as well as his mother Jamie, who is a former Hawke’s Bay Tui, and his uncle Callum Bruce, who is a former Māori All Black, it’s easy to see Luca won’t be short of role models during his quest.

The Napier West halfback Boston Sullivan is a younger brother of Hawke’s Bay-raised Māori All Blacks Zarn and Bailyn Sullivan. Zarn is playing for the Magpies this season while Bailyn continues to play for Waikato.

Napier West are coached by former Magpies prop Joe Apikotoa, fellow Taradale premier club player Josh Combs and successful Hawke’s Bay age group team coach Riccardo Fox. They have been tipped to have a close tussle with Hastings East who will aim for a four-peat in the eight-team Betta Inspect It-sponsored tournament which starts on Monday and ends on Friday.

The tournament is played in memory of Taradale and Hawke’s Bay Intercity JAB matriarch Adele Wakely, who died in 2020 at the age of 88 after a battle with cancer. Her son Baz continues to organise the event.

An all-female team, Mana Kotiro, will play for the third consecutive year. The other teams will be Hastings West, Napier East, Saracens, Central Hawke’s Bay and Barbarians.

The Barbarians team includes 11 players from Wairoa and 11 from throughout the remaining Hawke’s Bay districts.

Monday’s draw:

10.30am: Stihl Shop Greenmeadows Napier West v Hawke’s Bay Toyota Saracens. 11.45am: Centralines Central Hawke’s Bay v Kleer Contractors Hastings East. 1pm: SDS Advisory Ltd Hastings West v ATS Logging Ltd Barbarians. 2.15pm: Laser Plumbing & Electrical Napier East v Ridgeline Fencing Ltd Mana Kotiro.