Wellington club rugby team profile: Petone Brotherhood

Above: The Petone Brotherhood team earlier this season celebrating a 62-0 win over the Johnsonville Cripples.

It's the semi-finals of the Reserve Grade Division 1 Johnsonville Centennium Cup this Saturday, with top qualifier the Poneke Ruffnuts playing fourth placed OBU Therapists in one knockout match and the second placed Upper Hutt Rams J8s hosting third placed the Petone Brotherhood in the other.

In a much-anticipated semi-final at Maidstone Park, kick-off 2.30 pm, the Petone Brotherhood are out to reverse their 19-22 loss to this same side in last week's final round-robin match of the season.

The Petone Brotherhood was formed in 2009 after the sudden death of Gerard Lafatuana'i (Fuki) and five years later they're still going strong. Last year they won both the Senior 3 first and second round titles and earlier this season successfully defended their first round title winning nine games straight and scoring 312 points and conceding 99. With the Senior 3 grade folding mid-season, the Brotherhood have been playing in the Reserve Grade Division 1 competition in the second round.

Club:??Petone Rugby Football Club

Team name:??Petone Brotherhood

Competition currently playing:?Johnsonville Centennium Cup

Social Media:? Petone Brotherhood Rugby https://www.facebook.com/groups/105621276025/

Home ground: Petone Recreation Ground

Team origins:?The Brotherhood concept was developed in July 2009 after the sudden passing of our brother, cousin and good friend Gerard Lafatuana'i or more affectionately known as ‘Fuki'.? He was a Petone man through and through.? He was friendly, funny and always up for anything.? He had friends and family all over Wellington and New Zealand.

While preparing for the funeral it was apparent that he had friends from all mixes of life, school and rugby. This is when the idea evolved of putting a tribute rugby team together. As Petone Rugby was Fuki's home club it was there that the Brotherhood seed would be planted. It was only ever going to be a one season tribute but five years later we still find ourselves together and still going strong. Over the last five years players from different clubs have come to offer a season or two for the Brotherhood. These clubs include players from Hutt Old Boys Marist, Wainuiomata, Ories, Avalon and even a few league teams. Being true to our name many sets of brothers have played over the years.? This year we have seven sets of brothers playing.

From such a tragic time for Fuki's family and friends has come a blessing bringing this team together. In turn bringing his friends even closer and bringing new people to the team and club.

Biggest rivals:?Over the first few years it would definitely be Hutt Old Boys Marist Barbarians. The Barbarians were always very strong and physical and there have always been some tough battles with them. This year playing in the Reserve Grade it has been an honour playing against the Poneke Ruffnuts. They have paved the way for family-orientated teams such as ours and their legacy is one that we aim to achieve.? Their motto ‘You Belong' should apply to all rugby players and clubs Wellington wide.

Magic moments: Would easily be our victories in 2013. We always believed we had a great team but had always fallen short of any silverware. With Fred Fereti and Brian Faitele leading the team in winning the first round JDR Cup and second round Johnsonville Centennium Cup, these are definitely some of the Brotherhood's magic moments. This year has also started well for us where we defended the JDR Cup and were undefeated in the first round.

Team rituals and traditions:?Like most teams we like to partake in a court session or two. Every year The Brotherhood host a fundraiser party which is always one to mark in the calendar. Other than this The Brotherhood likes to hold their own prize giving which includes the Fuki Memorial Trophy for Brotherhood Player of the Year which is voted by all the players. Previous winners include Nev "Carlton" Masina and Tui "Forever Young" Tafili.

The team's experienced players:?The most capped players in the team include Tui Tafili, Sam "Jaws/Friday Night" Masina, Tomasi "White Horse" Maka, Mark "Fridge" Masina, Sifa "Hoka!" Makisi, Patrick "Deadly" Mua'au, Alan "Koba" Seu.

Joe Collins and Faitele "Pumba" Fereti have been a constant throughout the years and always offering their support.

Fa'alau "I do what I want" Taumaoe and Willy "Mr Glass" Masina having always been involved but have been plying their trade up the grades.

Ezra "Big Sugar" Iupeli has also been there from the start and has been instrumental in the development of The Brotherhood.

The team's personalities: John "Honey" Savage has always been up for a laugh much like Luke "Milky" Taylor. After a few friendly ales is usually when the big personalities come out. Club centurion Joe Collin's always leading the way.? Solia "Curfew" Tolai and brother Afele "baby Ne-Yo" Tolai are two of the senior personalities.

Young gun Bernie "The Baby" Taulealo is always down for a good joke or two, mainly in the showers. Nev "LC" Masina's antics on and off the field are often drawing a laugh or two. Stevie "Pedals" Makisi and Bruce "Ninja" Taumaoe are also a good laugh after a few quiets.

The team's famous players: Not too many famous Brothers but the honours list below:

Alex Telea - Wellington Lions, Hurricanes, Manu Samoa

Eddy Aiono - Penrith Panthers

Kim Masina - Avatar Movie

Sam Masina - Actor (Swimming Lessons, The Tribe, A Twist In The Tale) Best Juvenile Performace 1996 TV Guide New Zealand Film and Television Awards

Nev Masina - Stunt Double (Swimming Lessons Movie), Lord of the Rings

Brian Faitele - Part time Model

Ezra Iupeli - NZRU & All Blacks management support; Brownhill band

Afele Tolai - Brownhill band

A'aifou Ta'anoa - Brownhill band

Alofa Tuiasamoa - Current record hold of King of the Ribs at Gasworks Miramar

On player retention and rejuvenation:??Playing the grade we play it's sometimes easy to find players as those who do not have time for competitive footy often show up for us or those who do not have time to do two trainings a week.

Players who have often finished playing top level club rugby are then able to give time or offer a season to the Brotherhood.? Former Petone stalwarts like August, Joe and Willie Collins, Tumanu Martin and Duane Iupeli always offer their services when they're available.

Also every year we can draw on a couple of "foreign" players with hard-to-pronounce names like Luke Taylor, Jordan Turner, Jacob Hughes, and Lawrence Stephenson. These "foreign" players have enjoyed the team environment and the unique experience in being a part of the brotherhood.

The last word:? The Brotherhood is proud of where we are and where we have come from. We are often misunderstood but at the end of it all we are just a bunch of guys who like to play footy and have a few beers afterwards. We are very much a Brotherhood with each season boasting up to and sometimes more than seven sets of brothers.

We thank Petone Rugby for having us and all the teams we play against for the good games. We do it all for our fallen Brother, for Fuki.