- Another season is in full swing for the Ngati Porou East Coast rugby team, and the losing streak has continued with four straight losses. - They've got nothing. We're letting them in the game. - But today's game ` game five, against Buller ` is different. They're playing for more than pride. - All our boys will be wearing a black armband this weekend as we pay homage to the late Ben Kaiwai, who sadly passed away this morning. We send our thoughts, our aroha and our condolences out to Hubba and the whanau. - Lost one of our legends today. He was pretty strong for the club. Um` Oh, it's pretty hard for me to talk about him. Yeah. - It's gonna be adding fuel to our fire, eh. We'll play for him today. - Parkesy heading for the line! Can they get him down? Referee there with a try! - It's halftime, and Coach Hosea can sense they have a fighting chance to keep the lead. - All right, so, we can be on with Te Rangi; the rest of the backlog can be` can be flat. 'We're up at half time, and it's pretty much do or die for us.' It's a game that we` uh, that we need to win. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2022 - Despite being in the lead, the team have a history of losing, so the pressure is on. - He gets us underway. As the kick-off goes deep, Teina Potae has to battle it out from deep in his 22, and they've come up with a penalty here. - (WHISTLE TRILLS) - You know, the forwards had had a patchy first half, but they came and said at half time that` what they were gonna rectify and what they were gonna go out and do. (CROWD SHOUTS ENCOURAGEMENT) - Just before I came on, Coach was` just got in my ear and said, 'Boy, just do your thing. Do your job.' (SHOUTING, CHEERING) - Yeah, boy! - And, um` well, you get word from an All Black, you listen, eh. - Next up! Next up! Next up! (ROCK MUSIC) - Fraser out wide. He feeds a dummy. Fraser goes up! - (CHEERING) - Beautiful work there from Ngati Porou. They go high to Boswell-Wakefield at the front. He chucks it back to Parkesy. Parkesy goes for a run. - HOSEA: Parkesy's having a blinder. - Some nice reading of the play by the guy playing his 50th game today, Sammy Parkes. - There's a whole heap of belief there. - Just kick off long. Kick off long. - I can see Jack, um, sort of, tapping his knees, and, you know, he gets out there, and he's everywhere. He's into everything. - Quick hand from Manawatu up to De Kock. De Kock having a good shot there. - The passing of Ben Kaiwai seems to have lit a fire inside Jack, with him playing out of his skin. - ...towards the line. Go out to Richardson. Richardson will go! - (CHEERING) - Oh, it was awesome. Cos you think about the guy he is, what the team means to him. - To be able (CHUCKLES) to run past everyone ` I was trying to hold in the big` the` I was trying to, sort of, hold in my big, um, 'Yeah!' - What a wonderful thing it is that Richardson should score this try on the day that a moment of silence was observed for Ben Kaiwai, a wonderful City Club man. - When` I remember when I first came here, he was actually, um, of the only ones that would actually sit with me and have a beer and... Just not getting to know anyone. - With the win in sight, superstar guest player Ma'a Nonu and coach Hosea Gear join the field. - ...then to Bartlett. Bartlett on to Gear. Gear... - HOSEA: Far out. As soon as I got out there, the... the ball came out straight away. - He gives it to Parkes! Parkes stepping... - We were into our work, um, pretty quick. - ...out to Gear. Gear's got Haerewa with quick hands. To Tangaere. Tangaere down the side-line, and he gets tackled (CHUCKLES) over the side-line. - ...throw. They go high. Taken down by Lewaqai. Manawatu quick-hands out to Norton-Taylor. It's charged down! Can they get there? He's beat them over the side-line! - (CHEERING) - What's the referee say? It does indeed! - (CHEERING OBSCURES COMMENTARY) - That'll be full time here, whanau. Put your hands together. - HOSEA: Oh, man, it was a` it was a great feeling. Eight years to finally cement that` that belief that, you know, we could` they could do it. Yeah. - Ana! - ALL: Hi! - Ana! - Hi! - Ana! - Hi, ha! - We just knew this was the time ` if we're gonna do it, we need to do it now. (CHEERING, LAUGHTER) - Speaks for itself, really, eh? Um... Yeah. Yeah, it's... Pretty proud, eh. I'm proud. - He wiwi! - ALL: Nati! - Hold on, hold on! - (CLAMOURING, ALL GROAN) - He wiwi! - ALL: Nati! - Push this one over. - Which one? - Put your foot in the other stirrup. - Yep. - 'So good that Ma'a, you know, got on the back of a horse. 'Funny thing was he didn't really know how to` (CHUCKLES) how to get on it or where to put his foot.' Give it a little kick and let the reins go a little bit more. - Yep. - And flanker Jack is happy to give him some riding pointers. - CHUCKLES: I'm honestly proud of you. Go, Ma'a! - I think that photo will go down in history, which is awesome. - Three, two, one! - (CHEERING) - And Jack's back on his horse, obviously. - It was just awesome, eh. Like, the boys finally really got their W after, what, nine years? Magic, bro. Can't really (CHUCKLES) explain much more, but... - One thing I've been visualising for for two years... I want everyone to grab a beat. - With many of the players descending from members of the Maori Battalion, honouring their tipuna after the win is a special moment for the men. - ALL: # ...staunch and true. # We will march, march, march to the enemy! - Yee-ha! - # We will fight right to the end # for God... # ...te iwi. Aue! - Although the passion of playing for the memory of Ben Kaiwai helped carry the boys to a historic win, later that week, his loss is still deep and sharp for those touched by his mana. (WOMAN CALLS KARANGA) - It was like his calling in life was to be there and help and support people, and he really done that job really, really well. - # ...karanga ki a koe... - He didn't have a partner or any children, but... he pretty much took on the father role of, um, all his nieces and nephews and all his mokos. My dad died 13 years ago, so he was` for us at home, he was the ahika, and he kept the` he kept the home fires burning. - IN TE REO MAORI: (CHUCKLING) (SPEECH CONTINUES IN TE REO) - When you're preparing for` for a tangi, or a funeral, the whole community gets involved. - (CHATTER, LAUGHTER) - Yeah, yeah, that's the one. - No matter people's situation, circumstances, you just drop everything and you just go to the aid of the family, uh, just for support. - Say, like, training will be at 6 o'clock; Uncle Ben's the kind of guy that would've been there... 5 o'clock, (CHUCKLES) making sure everything's watea. (POIGNANT MUSIC) He'll be a great loss... (MEN PERFORM HAKA) ...to the boys, really. (HAKA CONTINUES) For our young men ` like, for our team ` doing the haka together for our ropu one last time was a way of them accepting. IN TE REO MAORI: But it's... it's about the living, and helping the living process that, and for` for us, for Uncle Ben, that's as a community. (POIGNANT MUSIC CONTINUES) Yeah. And, you know, around here, cowboys don't cry, eh. We cowboys 'round here. (SNIGGERS, LAUGHS) - (CHUCKLES) Got you. - Oi, what should we...? (BOTH SPEAK INDISTINCTLY, VEHICLES ZOOM) - Oi, Clipboard. - Hullo. - What are you doing? - LOUDLY: Reviewin' the speed limit. (VEHICLE ZOOMS) - The what? (VEHICLES ZOOM) - Speed limit. - Why? - It's just too fast... (TRUCK RUMBLES LOUDLY) ...for roads like this one. You know, stuff's changed ` new schools, new builds, people movin' in. We're lookin' at the speed limits to make sure they're right for the roads to keep us all... (SIREN WAILS) ...safe. - Did you like that? - Eh?! - Wait. - Wha...? - So are you changing all the speed limits? - Yes. No, just the... (TRUCKS RUMBLE LOUDLY) rubbish ones. Just the sh... (HORN TOOTS) ...ones! - All right. Hurry up, then. - OK. - Bye. - Thank you. - It's been an emotional few days for Ngati Porou flanker Jack Richardson, from the highs of his first try for the Coast to farewelling Uncle Ben. But work up at Waiapu, his adopted awa, never stops. - 'I'm, um, from Waipukurau, down in the Central Hawke's Bay. 'I was a shepherd, so I wanted to work the land with dogs and horses. 'I've been, um, employed by the iwi to actually' share my knowledge in fencing... 'and, um, teach these guys the skills that I know.' So, you wanna get your face bang on. 'Just for me to be able to give back to Ngati Porou ` 'that's my reasoning for' putting so much effort into this stuff. About two inches! 'The bros here, it's like they think I'm doing this special stuff, but I'm actually learning off them. 'Like, we can go to work, whatever, without anything 'and still have a feed and be happy' at work and whatever, because it's all on the land here, so... One thing I didn't bring was a knife, which is... - Lucky I'm sharp. - ...(CHUCKLES) why I'm using this. - Jack found his way to connect with the locals through the sport he loves. - I didn't know anyone when I first got here, and everyone just, sort of, took me under their wing (CHUCKLES) like a lost pup sort of thing, eh, and then` and they brought me down to the rugby club. - Even with the brothers behind us ` they all play club. We battle each other out in club all year, and then we come together as the Coast and support each other. - Even away from the rugby field, Hosea's influence is always with the boys, no matter what they're doing ` or eating. - Sorry about the butter, Coach. (CHUCKLES) - (LAUGHS) He'd have a heart attack if he seen the boys chewing up that much butter. - One thing I've learned about being up here is you can't have enough of that. (LAUGHS) - Can't have enough butter and enough salt. - Mate, they're` the fences are gonna laugh, cos our chisels are not even` they're blunt. (LAUGHS) - (LAUGHS) - Should be razor. - And Jack now has another reason to feel closer to Ngati Porou. - My missus, she's from here, so my kids are from here. That's my way in. Who's Gordon Ramsay? Nah. - Making Ngati proud, Jack. - Getting to learn how` how we live up here. Cos it's taken me 10 years to figure it out. (SIZZLING) In there, bro. - Oh, nah, I'm not` Hosea's gonna see it. I'm not even gonna touch the butter. That's the flavour I can taste. - Chisel. (CHUCKLES) - Blessed. Blessed. Oh... Beautiful lunch. (LAID-BACK ACOUSTIC MUSIC) - The sense of sovereignty within the Coast lends itself to multi-skilled people who buck social norms. Ngati Porou East Coast Women's Rugby player Ario Rewi is one such wahine toa. - Hurry up, bud, cos you're gonna be late for the bus. - All right. - Thursday, Tuesday, um, the kids and I have JAB; Monday, Wednesday, rugby training; Friday, boxfit; and then Saturday, it's JAB in the morning, usually referring in the afternoon; and Sunday, we've got Coast training and Senior Women's City training. It's a pretty flat-out rugby week. I teach young people life skills. Um, how to kill a mutton, go hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing ` that kind of stuff. I've been training to be a referee for the last two years. I also play rugby for Ngati Porou East Coast Women's. Oh, yeah, and I'm currently on my journey towards becoming Ruatoria's local police officer. I've just passed my psychometric evaluation to hopefully come back here and serve my community. For me, it's` there's never, ever been an alternative in terms of where I want to raise my children. It's really important that my children know where they're from, they know who they are, they know where they belong in this world... - Beautiful. - ...and that when they're finished filling their kete o matauranga, that they bring it here to share with our people at home. IN TE REO: (ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS) - IN TE REO MAORI: E te whanaunga, nau mai. Hi, Hubba. - OVER PHONE: Hi. - So proud of you ` sponsoring our tu toka wahine women's rugby team. - They're pretty much the foundation that all our young women aspire to. I personally relate to that kaupapa, playing in a male-dominated sport. If I can contribute in some way, I'm gonna do that. (ANTICIPATIVE MUSIC) - It's the morning of the big grudge match ` Ngati Porou versus Poverty Bay ` and Ario has a few tricks up her sleeve. - Also, I got everyone to wear these cool-as headgears. Pretty nervous. It's the intimidation factor. Playing a mental game here. First of all, they're not gonna know who's speeding past them ` that's me ` and second of all, they're gonna be scared cos we look really ferocious. - Kia ora. Morning, my girl. Morena. - Morena. Yeah, I think we have a historic rivalry with Poverty Bay. I think I'd prefer to lose to any other team in New Zealand but Poverty Bay. Told you ` intimidating. I think it's because we have such close proximity to Poverty Bay and half of those people on there are whanaunga and should be playing for us anyway. - (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - Believe in yourself. Have faith in your teammates. Have faith in your sisters. He wiwi! - ALL: Nati! (SHOUTING) - But the thing is that you know these girls, you know their families; um, the boys know where they've grown up ` they grew up with a lot of them, or they're a cousin or they're a niece. (SHOUTING, CHEERING) - When you're fatigued, you're absolutely exhausted and you've got nothing left in the tank and you see your baby on the side-line or you hear your uncle or your cousin or your brother, it absolutely gives you that push that you need to get yourselves over the finish line, and hopefully with that dub in hand. (SHOUTING) - We won! - (SCREAMING, CHEERING) - The wahine o Ngati Porou are the pillars of this community. If you've seen the movie Boy ` the auntie that has all the jobs, that's like every one of` woman in Ngati Porou. They're the CEOs; they're the RDOs; they're the aunties behind the counter at the shop; they're the people Hughie Hughes who fix your electrics ` you know, Ngati Porou women do absolutely everything. We're lucky there's no gender- specific roles in Ngati Porou. So, um, we've all been raised to know that the world's our oyster and if we want something, we're more than capable of getting it. - Ngati Porou! - ALL: East Coast! - Ngati Porou! - The region is on a high from both teams winning, but news of another deep loss is about to stun the community. (PENSIVE MUSIC) - REPORTER: Rugby is mourning the loss of one of its brightest stars. REPORTER: McLaren Falls, near Tauranga, has been closed since the car Wainui was driving crashed into a tree, causing his death this morning, sending shockwaves around the country. There was an outpouring of grief on social media, who paid tribute to a hugely talented rugby player, husband and father. - You know, I got the phone call that morning and just couldn't believe it. Yeah, I was just like, 'Are you sure, like, it's` it's him?' Like, 'Can't be, cos he's` you know, he's young, he's fit,' um, 'he's got a family...' (MEN PERFORM HAKA) - I sent him a message and said, 'Cuzzie, I got a jersey for you.' Um, he obviously won't get the chance to` to, um... to wear it, but, you know, we'll wear it for him. - MEN: # Ia, ha ha! # E tama, te uaua ana... - You know, him being a` being a family member and someone that we` that we are proud of, um, in our family, it was really` it was heartbreaking. - # Ana! Ana! # Aue, hi! # - I was just really unhappy and depressed and just knew... You know, what could I` you know, what could I do? Where could I go? And so I just drove out Mangatu. I went and` you know, went and saw my nan. - Nanny Mum. - Sat with her for about an hour. (RAIN PATTERS) It's good that there's something there, eh? - Yeah. Uncle Ben's tangi up in Rua ` I met some of the old nannies there. They knew Nanny Mum. Every time, she'd always go and... be loud about her mokos. - Oh, yeah. - It was like, 'Oh, shame.' - Yeah, yeah. - Nah, she didn't hold back, all right. (SCUFFS SHOES) Always laughing at something. Gee, it's funny, eh? You know the day's gonna come, but you just... - Yeah. - Now it's been and gone, you know? With the old ones. - Yeah. - Might just go over and see Cuzzie Sean before we... - Mm. - ...before we head off. (SOMBRE MUSIC) (RAIN PATTERS) - It's been an emotional week for Ngati Porou East Coast, but they know they have a job to do against the West Coast. - # Ko Tu, hekea ana, ko Rongo, hehea ana... - The pressure is on. If Hosea and the boys want to make the playoffs, this is a must-win game. - ALL: # Ka wiwini, ka wawana, tara pata tu ki te rangi, # aue ki, # whano, whano! # Haramai te toki. # Haumi e! Hui e! # Taiki e. # - We know what is needed. We know what we're here to do. We know what we're here to play for. We know who we're here to play for. (TEAM PERFORMS HAKA) - (WHISTLE TRILLS) - And Mr Garland gets us underway. Kicks it high. Tutere Waenga underneath it. Gives it up to Sammy Parkes. Long pass out wide to Te Wehi Wright. Te Wehi Wright, and to Fraser. Still going here! Winger's out wide. He's got Te Kani` Te Kani on! Beautiful step from the big man! - (CHEERING) Gabe Te Kani with the first wins on the board here for Ngati Porou. Yeah, goes to number four. - (SHOUTING DROWNS OUT COMMENTARY) - (CHEERING) - In the corner! Picked up. Give it up to Bolingford. Bolingford over the line! It's a try! (WHISTLE TRILLS) - The boys are off with a hiss and a roar, pulling out to a 14-point lead. - ...out to Fraser. Fraser has it with himself. Fraser will go in next to the post! - But the pressure of the last couple of weeks weighs heavy on the team... - I've` I've been away, um, from the family for... oh, for around 10 weeks. - ...and West Coast hit back. - Yeah, the most difficult part is, 'When am I,' you know, 'gonna see them?' - ...as he gets a try! - (WHISTLE TRILLS, CHEERING) - Yeah, West Coast fighting their way back into this one to lock it all up as we head towards halftime. - (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - Take the pressure off ourselves, put it back on them. They'll kick it back to us; we gotta go. - They're not a bad team, though. They're gonna come at some point, you know? We just gotta be able to charge it` charge their energy with our energy. No one's easy beat. - Everyone who's out here for game, empty the tank. - It's been a long eight years of slogs, bros, of us not going down and getting wins, bros. It's about time we got the core team here to do it. Eight years of names we got to take. Been a lot of death around` in and around our team in the past few weeks, but there's also been life, all the way through, all the way till now, boys. We're reborn. Reborn to wear this taonga, this korowai. - He wiwi! - ALL: Nati! (ROCK MUSIC) (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) (WHISTLE TRILLS, CHEERING) - They're driven on emotion, this group of players. - ...to Moana. Moana down the side-line and finds Fraser. Fraser stepping back into there` Whoa! - And I've see that ` I can see that, you know, in their eyes. - Moana. Moana still going down the side-line. Teina Potae just pushed into the side. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Bartlett with a try! - Knock-on! Sammy Parkes flicks the ball out to Tangaere. Comes out now to` Oh, and it's bounced off the hands of Fraser. Parkes looking for the ball! Comes out now to Nonu! Nonu gives it up to Bartlett! Bartlett out to Te Wehi Wright in the corner! - Are the boys... controlling their emotions? We probably didn't` actually, we didn't towards the end of the game. Um, forced the ball a little bit too much, made mistakes and then... (INDISTINCT SHOUTING) ...and then, um, turned over and they scored, which pretty much, you know, lost the game for us. (CROWD NOISE DROWNS OUT COMMENTARY) (WHISTLE TRILLS, CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - What a try! You can hear the sound of... (PENSIVE MUSIC) (BIRDS TWITTER) - Next time on East Coast Rising ` with pressure on all fronts... - Is it worth it being here? - ...can cultural reconnection help the boys find the strength they've been chasing... (ALL PERFORM HAKA) ...rise from the ashes and win the biggest game of the season against their arch-rivals?