Hawke's Bay rugby league stalwarts lace up for women's final

Deidre Hakopa with the ball in hand at a Hawke's Bay Women's league match in 2017 in Hastings. Photo / Duncan Brown

Rugby league stalwart Deidre Hakopa, 52, will be lacing up her boots for a final time after 26 years on the field. However, Hakopa doubts it will be the last time she is on the pitch.

"I'll most likely be there in some capacity, whether as a supporter or a water runner.

"I'll just have to start wearing jandals down to the games, I know I won't be able to step away from rugby that easily," she said.

Hakopa has played league for Tamatea-Arikinui since 1995 and has full confidence in her team for the final against Omahu Huia on Saturday.

"You've got to go into the game feeling like you're going to win but you can never be complacent, it all comes down to the day and you never know what's going to happen," she said.

Hakopa has been a lover of league for as long as she can remember and is grateful for the lifelong friends she's made through the sport.

"There's a core group of women that I also play rugby union with, we know each other really well and know how we play together.

"I've called some of them this week to get them to come back on the field for my last game," she said.

Deidre Hakopa, pictured with rugby ball in hand, will be roping in her old league friends for one last hurrah on the rugby field on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Labett

For Hakopa, rugby is not just about friends. The sport has also been a family affair.

"A highlight has been playing with my daughters, my sister, and my nieces, especially when we get to go into finals together," she said.

"It's the people that keep you coming back and make it feel like home," she said.

The Omahu team are also preparing for an emotional game, with this year being the team's first appearance after a four-year hiatus.

"2017 was our last women's league game, and it was also the year that we lost my grandmother, Nan Nuku," Omahu Huia and Mid-Central Vipers player Bryarn Nuku said.

"My grandmother was the backbone of the Omahu Huia, we lost a lot of love and passion for the sport when she died," Bryarn said.

For Bryarn, rugby league is much more than a game. It's a family legacy.

"Nan Nuku was a founder of the Omahu Huia club in 1977, that's how long our club's been running.

"We have four generations in my family who have played for the club. I'm not prepared to let that slip away."

Bryarn kickstarted the women's team this year, forging a new team from a combination of experienced and new players.

"It's been a bit of a juggle, with unforeseen Covid circumstances. The finish line is in sight now and I'm looking forward to getting on with it on Saturday," Bryarn said.

Omahu Huia club chairman Shane Tipu said Omahu is the longest-standing league club in Hawke's Bay and there's been lots of hard work at the foundation level recently to build the club back up.

"If you put the work in behind the scenes the hard work shows on scene. We now have all three of our senior teams in the league finals on Saturday," he said.

Tipu said the positive result across the board for the club meant a lot for the local community.

"We're a little community in Omahu but we're a big rugby league community. When our rugby league teams do well, the whole community does well. The two go hand in hand."

The teams are expecting a big crowd at Mitre 10 Sport's Park on Saturday, with free entry for all spectators.

Saturday's Rugby League Finals
11 am - Omahu Huia Wāhine vs Tamatea-Arikinui
1 pm - Omahu Huia Premier Reserves vs M.A.C
2.45 pm - Omahu Huia Premiers vs Bay Bulldogs