Karaan Going thought his days as a senior club rugby player were well and truly over.
But it seems there is nothing stronger than the beat of the Mid Northern rugby drum, especially when you are a member of one of the most famous rugby families on the planet.
So Karaan Going
didn't have much choice when he came back from several seasons overseas thinking he could sling his rugby boots in the dustbin and wear his gumboots on the farm instead.
All it took was a phone call from the coach and a hurry-up from his cousins and Going was back in the Mid Northern rugby fold. Now look who's smiling.
Going became the first member of the famous rugby club to clap hands on the Joe Morgan Memorial Trophy, a chalice handed to the winner of the Northland-wide premier club rugby title named in honour of one of Mid Northern's most famous All Blacks, when his team beat Waipu 24-15 in the final on Saturday.
"I thought I was done and dusted when I came back from overseas really, but then I got roped in by some of the cousins, and right now I am glad I did," Going said after the game.
"A big part of our build-up was to do this for Joe (Morgan) and Tori White, two blokes who were big members of our club but aren't with us any more. I knew all the boys wanted this and getting the Joe Morgan Trophy in our club is a pretty proud moment for all of us," he said.
Not just for the players, either.
The game, the first premier club final played at a club venue in more than 15 years, proved to be quite a spectacle with Mid Northern producing some impressive attacking rugby to get a lead before Waipu came rumbling back.
Mid Northern opened up with three penalties from the boot of midfield back Derek Carpenter and a slick try scored by young winger Jershon Witehira for a 14-0 lead. But an intercept saw Waipu veteran Jason Hita dot down just before halftime.
Playing into a strong wind in the second half, Mid Northern were forced to dig deep as Waipu gathered momentum, with captain Scott Uren and a determined tight five gaining confidence.
But a try to Mid Northern halfback Logan Going gave the home team an edge. The victory was all but sealed when Brad Miller dotted down five minutes later.
Waipu tried valiantly to stage a revival, but were unable to breach Mid Northern's rock-solid defence until the last minute of the game when winger Aaron Hollis swooped in.
But it was when the official trophy was handed over that the most poignant moment of the season came. As Sharon Morgan, the widowed wife of former All Black, Northland legend and Mid Northern icon Joe Morgan, presented the trophy to Going, you could have bottled the emotion.
"It is great for us as a family this trophy comes to Mid Northern at last," Morgan said. "Go celebrate." As an emotional Going accepted the trophy, watched by his uncles Ken and Sid Going, he dedicated the win to Tori, a stalwart of the club who died last year.
"This is awesome for us, we brought Joe's trophy home and we dedicate this win to Tori, our mate," he said.
Karaan Going thought his days as a senior club rugby player were well and truly over.
But it seems there is nothing stronger than the beat of the Mid Northern rugby drum, especially when you are a member of one of the most famous rugby families on the planet.
So Karaan Going
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