Did you two meet growing up on the East Coast?
Rua: Yeah, I think our dads used to kick around a bit back in the day. His dad is Mike, my dad was known as Boy Pakeha. Hardly anyone knows his real name (Reihana). They used to shear and work
and drink.
Mike: Back in those days, they'd get enough money to booze it up and that's it.
Why the was he called Boy Pakeha?
Rua: I think his family are big, dark people and he's a little white fella. Not many of them around back then.
Mike, you played for the East Coast in the second division final in Napier in 2001 (losing 27-30 to Hawke's Bay). How was the after match?
Mike: Nothing compares to that. I don't know how many people you know drink a pub out of liquor.
Rua: Did that happen?
Mike: Everyone from the game went back to the pub where we were at in Clive. It was dry by 2am. The next day was probably one of the best bus trips I've been on. Normally takes four hours. Took us 10 hours and we had to pick up a hitchhiker... to drive.
What's happened to the Rastafarians?
Mike: They're a dying breed. I think they've been run out of town.
Rua: That's down the line a bit from us.
Rua, how old are your kids?
Rua: Naera is seven, Manahi is five and Mihingarangi, or Bubba for short, is three. We're looking to have twins next year.
Mike, any kids?
Mike: Yeah an 11-month-old son, Nikaiah.
Rua: He's the size of our three-year-old.
Mike: He's a big unit.
Rua: He's a green-eyed monster.
Would you rather raise them on the East Coast?
Rua: I'd like to bring them up around the Gisborne area. It's a good little city to grow up in. But where we are in Westmere, you just walk around the road there's school and kindy. We're enjoying it. I never thought we'd like a big city after living in Kobe (Japan). I used to think Hamilton was a bit of a hole but after living in Japan you drive around and think "what a beautiful city". But after a year there you think that's long enough.
Why Hamilton?
Rua: I talked to John Mitchell, he said he was going to give me a crack (with Waikato) but he was all **** in the end. After that I travelled to the Bay (of Plenty).
Any big trips, Mike, apart from the bus to Napier?
Mike: Bus to Gisborne. France, England, Portugal.
Rua: He's a mercenary. Just follows the dollar.
Did you find in France you'd never had so many men grab your nuts?
Mike: Grab my nuts, bite me, punch me in the same eye for six weeks straight. If you've got a black eye they're after it.
Any French kissing?
Mike: Yeah, a little bit.
Rua: Obviously before he met his lady.
Rua, a lot of coaches backed you when you were in trouble for ill-discipline. Any coach in particular?
Rua: Pretty much anyone who's coached me except for one year in the Blues. The year that Frank Oliver took over when Gordy Hunter died. Frank and JK (John Kirwan) - that was a pretty rat**** year.
Are there any survival stories from the Coast to rival Robert Hewitt's?
Rua: Not that long - three days. Oh, well, our founding ancestor rode over from Hawaiki on a whale - Paikea. That's pretty much the only one that tops that.
Who's got the foulest mouth in the Blues?
Rua: Mike without a doubt.
Mike: You're a ****!
Rua: It's fair to say he's a little bit rough around the edges. He's getting there.
Mike: I don't try to be anyone else, you see. I don't come in putting up a front.
Rua: Rough as guts.
Is Rua like a life coach?
Mike: Tell me about it. When we're on the piss, he's like Tony Robbins. Hours on end.
Rua, are you the kaumatua in the Blues?
Mike: Print that. Print kaumatua.
Rua: I'm a spring chicken.
Mike: He's the leader of the new players. He's the godfather. That just comes with age.
Rua: All these young fellas give me **** about my age but they're the ones pulling up injured. Who's out there day after day doing the hard yards? Anyway, I'm only 30. Used to be young when I started out. Frank Bunce was 35.
What five people would you invite to dinner?
Mike: Will Farrell (actor/comedian).
Rua: The Dalai Lama.
Mike: What do you want him for?
Rua: Bro, enlighten us bro. You gotta get a hot chick in there.
Mike: I know. I'm thinking... um. I know, Byron's missus! (porn star Kaylani Lei).
Rua: Oh, na na na!
Mike: Ha ha ha ha!
Rua: Jessie, what's her name? (Gurunathan) That's Macca's (Angus McDonald's) missus.
Mike: That'll piss Macca off.
The Dalai Lama would probably go to bed early.
Rua: He'd probably get a couple in and spark it up.
Who plays the guitar in the team?
Mike: I'm not much of a player but if there's a song going I'll jump in. Nick Williams is really good.
Rua: And our doctor (Peter Coleman). He was in Th' Dudes with Dave Dobbyn.
Rua, your fabricated story when you broke both your hands sounds a lot like Ben Atiga's gym accident?
Rua: When Benny (Atiga) had his accident I said: "See, it can happen." He smashed three of his teeth. Mine was just a bit of a punch-up on the rugby field. I said it happened in the gym. It was just bull****.
Mike: Is that all you fellas could come up with?
Rua: Well look at my men helping me. (Matua Parkinson and Rico Gear). They're not the sharpest tools in the shed.
Any strange hobbies?
Rua: That fella Mike loves his old cars. He's pretty proud of that purple pumpkin eater over there (a 1969 Ford Falcon). Must be a hangover from our dads' days. They drove V8s and Zephyrs.
Mike: He's got the same one but a station wagon. And John Afoa's got one.
Rua: Ours are quicker.
Mike: Afoa's is a rust bucket.
Rua: They call it Rusty.
Mike: He got ripped off.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
Did you two meet growing up on the East Coast?
Rua: Yeah, I think our dads used to kick around a bit back in the day. His dad is Mike, my dad was known as Boy Pakeha. Hardly anyone knows his real name (Reihana). They used to shear and work
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