Whanganui rugby: Heartland star Alekesio Vakarorogo celebrates 50 matches

Centre Alekesio Vakarorogo has notched up his 50th game for Whanganui. Photo / Kate Belsham, Ivy Digital

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When it comes to Steelform Whanganui’s latest 50th game representative, actions have always spoken louder than words.

The man they call Terminator, centre Alekesio Vakarorogo, racked up his significant first-class milestone in the final round-robin match of the 2025 Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship regular season against Thames Valley at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.

The 32-year-old has been Whanganui’s go-to strike weapon since he donned the jersey during the “friendly” games of the Covid-disrupted 2020 season, having arrived on these shores to join the Border club from Lavena, a small community in Fiji’s Taveuni island.

He is the cousin of Whanganui representative brothers Renato and Vereniki Tikoisolomone, the latter of whom is now rapidly approaching 50 games for neighbouring Taranaki. Vakarorogo debuted on the wing against Horowhenua-Kāpiti at Shannon Domain on October 3, 2020.

Two weeks later, coming off the bench at Cooks against Wairarapa Bush, he got his inaugural try at first-class level, and now has a phenomenal strike rate of 47 tries from his 50 games.

This includes a share of the Heartland Championship record of five tries in one match, when he destroyed Horowhenua-Kāpiti at Cooks on September 30, 2023.

The 2023 campaign was Vakarorogo’s first full season switching into the centre position, and he scored 13 tries on the journey to his second consecutive Meads Cup final - just one behind the Heartland record of Whanganui’s Pati Fetuai with 14, set in the inaugural 2006 season.

Vakarorogo was named a finalist for the Ian Kirkpatrick Medal as Player of the Year before winning the national award in 2024, despite being hampered by hamstring and knee injuries.

In total, 45 of Vakarorogo’s tries have come in the Heartland Championship, behind only the likes of his South Canterbury rival Kalavini Leatigaga and Buller legend Iliesa Tora with 52, although both have had the advantage of playing more competition games, having debuted in 2016 and 2013 respectively.

Vakarorogo started on the wing for the first three games this season before moving back to centre. His nine tries again topped the Heartland charts until another South Canterbury winger, Sireli Masi, scored a double at the weekend to take the outright lead with 11.

Vakarorogo has played 45 Heartland games, averaging a try per game, as well as the four “friendly” matches of 2020 and last season’s Ranfurly Shield challenge to Hawke’s Bay.

He made 25 appearances on the wing, 23 at centre and two off the bench.

He is now trying to win his second Lochore Cup to follow on from the “playoff for third” final in the Covid-shortened 2021 season, when he scored against North Otago in a 22-16 win.

When asked if he could reach 50 first-class tries by the end of this season, the shy Fijian’s reply was, “Yeah, probably.

“First of all, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to come over here, it really means a lot in Whanganui.”

Coach Jason Hamlin acknowledged his backline star.

“I don’t think you can put into words what he means to Whanganui rugby and to Border rugby.

“He’s a hell of a player. I don’t think enough words give justice to it.”

Long-time teammates Samu Kubunavanua and Jamie Hughes presented Vakarorogo with his blazer, now including the “50″ emblem, at the after-match function at Cooks Gardens last Saturday.