RUGBY: Konia returns to Japan

SHANE HURNDELL
Former Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team assistant coach George Konia is returning to Japan.
"The dilution of my hands-on back coaching role with the Magpies means there is no reason for me to remain here," said the former Kelt Capital Magpies captain (pictured right).
Konia, 37, was referring to the fact new Magpies coach Peter Russell is a backs coach and his services are no longer required with the Bay's Air New Zealand Cup side.
A former New Zealand Maori and Hurricanes centre who played 54 first class games for the Bay from 1993-96, Konia, has scored a head coach job with the Kintetsu company team in Osaka.
"Kintetsu has been relegated to the second division and my role is to get them back up to the first," said Konia who leaves with his wife and three children on Saturday.
"It's a one-season contract initially but if things work out it will be extended," he said.
This will be the Te Aute College product's second stint in Japan as he had eight years there before returning home in 2005 to take up his Magpies assistant coach role to former mentor Brendon Ratcliffe.
Konia had a four-year playing stint with the NEC Green Rockets who won the All Japan Championship in February 2005 with a 17-13 win over Toyota Verblitz in the final. Before this the 2003 Japan World Cup player spent four years with Isetan.
"In a way this is a return home for our children who were brought up in Japan," he said referring to his 10-year-old, seven-year-old and five-year-old.
"I've enjoyed my last two years here and we've achieved a lot with the Magpies. There's been some real good times and some tough times ... I've learnt a lot," he said.
Konia believes the Magpies will be more competitive this year as the players gained a considerable amount of knowledge last season.
His highlights included helping the Magpies win the 2005 NPC division two final with a 32-15 victory over Nelson Bays at Napier's McLean Park and last year's first Air New Zealand Cup win - a 51-29 victory over Counties-Manukau at McLean Park.
"And some of the presentations from the players when we were in camp up at Pukeora ... they were fantastic," he laughed.
Konia was referring to some of the skits players performed during their two pre-season tours of the Bay in 2005 and last year.
He hasn't ruled out a return to the Bay in the future.
"Hawke's Bay will always be home but at the same time if I'm going to make coaching my career I can't stay in one place ... I've got to go where the jobs are," Konia said.
Despite his outstanding form for Taradale premiers in a March pre-season match Konia said his Japan trip will be "purely coaching".
"My playing days have ended," he added.
In recent months Konia has been in charge of Hawke's Bay's club competitions and this role will be handled by the Hawke's Bay union's club liaison officer Andy Kells.