Fermanis brothers flying high in Wellington club rugby

Above: TJ (left) and Hemi Fermanis at Lyndhurst Park last Saturday after Tawa’s 30-20 win against Petone in the Jubilee Cup.

If Tawa kick on to defend this year’s Jubilee Cup title, the Fermanis brothers would have played a leading hand in their success.

The brothers, TJ, Hemi and Ezra (currently injured) personify the community club’s recent success, through their dedication, loyalty and all-action style of play that invariably swings close results in their favour.

This coming Saturday against Oriental-Rongotai, oldest brother TJ runs on to his home track to make his 100th Premier start for Tawa, while youngest Hemi goes into this Saturday’s Jubilee Cup round as the Billy Wallace Best & Fairest competition leader with just two regular season matches plus playoffs to come.

Loose forward TJ said it will be a proud afternoon for him when he becomes the first, but perhaps not the last, member of his family to strike up 100 games in Wellington Premier club rugby.

All three brothers came to the club from just up the road. “We grew up in Titahi Bay and we grew up playing for Norths as juniors but our uncle coached at Tawa and told us to come over. Once we started here we got hooked in with the boys and haven’t looked back,” said TJ.

The brothers have all spent time overseas away from rugby on their Mormon missions.

“We’ve each spent two years overseas on our Mormon missions, I went to Japan, Hemi (41 Premier starts for Tawa) went to Guam and Ezra (52) went to Melbourne,” said TJ.

Consequently, TJ speaks fluent Japanese. “I was in Japan from 2006-08, so with the players that come to Wellington and to our club through [former Tawa coach] Katsu Takeuchi I am able to talk Japanese to them help them understand the language.”

Rugby took a back seat whilst overseas on their mission. “You don’t play sport during those two years. I was coaching some high school rugby players in Japan but not playing.”

Lock Hemi spent his two years in Guam between 2013-2015 and also spent time rehabbing his shoulder.

“I played Colts in 2012 for Tawa but had an injured shoulder and I had that operated on before I left on my mission in mid-2013,” said Hemi,” so I was also away when they won the Jubilee Cup for the first time.”

Midfielder/wing Ezra has played Premier rugby for Tawa since 2009 but has been set back by shoulder and knee injuries. He was last on Tawa’s bench in the Swindale Shield match against Poneke earlier this season. The three brothers started together in four Premier games together in 2015.

The Fermanis brothers went to Mana College, Church College and Wellington College at various times between them, they all also have a strong affiliation with the Toa team and have spent a couple of seasons playing for them and also in some sevens tournaments under the Toa banner.Toa are based at Elsdon Park and have traditionally played in the Horowhenua-Kapiti competition, winning the Ramsbottom Cup three years on the trot between 2003-05.

Fullback Randall Bishop (116 Premier starts for Tawa) and his older brother Evan are also involved with the church and with Toa.

Both TJ and Hemi rate Tawa’s Jubilee Cup win last year as an undoubted club rugby career highlight.

“The big thing with our club’s first Jubilee Cup win in 2013 was I couldn’t play in that final because it was on a Sunday and we don’t play on Sundays. I played in the semi-final win but didn’t play the next week,” explained TJ.

“They then changed the final to a Saturday, so to have the opportunity in 2016 to play was awesome for Hemi and me.”

Tawa beat Marist St Pat’s 24-20 in last year’s final at Jerry Collins Stadium. “That MSP team last year on paper were a better team throughout the season; we just wanted it more on the day.”

Hemi agreed. “That was definitely the highlight of the year for me last year, winning it and what it meant to the supporters as well, going over and thanking all the fans afterwards for their support was special.”

TJ said it’s always a big afternoon playing against Northern United. “We love the Norths game, a lot of people show up for that being a local derby and we know a lot of their boys.”

Hemi made his Premier starting debut at lock midway through the 2015 season, scoring a try on debut, and has missed just two games in the last two years.

A series of high-energy performances saw him awarded three points in the Billy Wallace competition four times in the first round and picking up one more Player of the Day so far in the Jubilee Cup.

A specialist lock, Hemi has also played games at flanker where he said he’s just as comfortable playing. “I’m happy to play just wherever they need me,” said Hemi.

Hemi thanks his coaches for his rapid ascent. “Having Dion Waller help me and give me pointers here and there has been really good, and also having Rodney So’oialo this year too.”

Both brothers praised their teammates around them. “We have got four of the best props in Wellington, we are loving our set-piece right now. We have got our halfback Kemara Hauiti-Parapara back from the NZ U20s experience, although to lose centre Pepesana Patafilo was a blow [Patafilo out for the season after having recent foot surgery].”

“The experienced players do a really good job bringing intensity to training and they’re really good off the field,” praised Hemi.

After reaching the100-game milestone and hoping to finish this season on a high, TJ has no thoughts of retirement. “I love playing for Tawa and have no plans to stop playing here, but sometime in the future I think I am going to back to Toa and play with my family.”

In the summer, Hemi runs a donut business out of a food truck. The way he is playing though, he could be featuring in some representative teams so dusting off the deep frier could be a while away yet.