Current players giving back to clubs with home loan and house sale offer

Two well-known current Wellington club rugby players and mates have recently teamed up off the field to offer current players and supporters a home loan and house sale offer that directly helps local rugby clubs.

Jon Masaga (above, left) is a former hard-running Tawa winger/midfielder and Wellington Orcas Wellington league team captain who is back playing rugby this year for the Old Boys University club as a loose forward.

Clayton Masina (right) is a long-time Upper Hutt and Rimutaka midfielder, currently in the Upper Hutt Rams Premier and Premier Reserve wider squad.

After nine years working for multi-national banks Westpac and ANZ in the Retail & Business Banking divisions, Jon has recently set himself up as a self-employed Mortgage Broker aligned with AMP, while Clayton is a real estate agent working under the Ray White banner.

Club Rugby supports their new combined referral incentive because not only does it help the individual players and supporters, but also the clubs, which remain the lifeblood of the game.

Here’s how it works:

Throughout the 2016 season, if a Wellington club rugby player, club administrator or supporter refers any new mortgage business to Jon, be it new home loan finance or refinancing an existing mortgage, then Jon will donate $250 to the person that referred them and he will also donate $250 to their nominated club.

Similarly, if a Wellington club rugby player or supporter sells a house through Clayton then Clayton will donate $250 to the person that referred them and $250 to the club of their choice.

Taken together, if Clayton sells a house and Jon arranges finance on the new mortgage, the pair will jointly donate $500 to the person that referred them the business and the same amount to their nominated Wellington rugby club.

Jon explains. “I am on the rugby committee for the Wellington Samoan Rugby Union so I know what it costs to run a club and I know how increasingly difficult it is to attract funding.”

“Ten mortgage referrals to me from a rugby club will result in $2,500 being given back to the club at absolutely no cost to them. To qualify, People within clubs just need to refer other people within their club - whether they are active players, coaches, members, administrators or supporters.”

This is applicable on settlements of any lending deal or on settlements of a house that is being sold. First home buyers, property investors or people that have mortgages that is up for renewal or people with fixed mortages looking for a better deal.

“With the market the way it is and how low the interest rates are it is probably the best time to review your mortgage.”

For Clayton, this is just for house sellers. “Once the sale goes through then $250 goes to the person that referred it and $250 goes to their nominated club,” he says.

On the field, Jon is returning to Old Boys University this year, after previously joining the Goats as a loose forward in 2014, before returning to his Porirua Vikings rugby league club and playing his fourth straight season for the Wellington Orcas.

“In 2014 I played the first half of the season with OBU Senior 1s [Premier Reserves] but it was always the plan that the second half of the season I would go back to club rugby league in order to qualify for the Wellington team.”

In rugby league Jon played second row or centre and captained the Wellington Orcas for two years. He played for the New Zealand Residents XIII and also played for the New Zealand Universities.

Jon took last year off for family commitments. He and his partner welcomed their third child, Tyson. Prior to that, he spent several seasons playing Premier rugby for Tawa. “I think I played around 80 or so games for Tawa, we had a good team for a while there with the likes of the Lafaele brothers [Willie and Hayden], Saga Vanilau, Junior Togia and Nigel Hunt in the backs.”

He says he’s enjoying being at OBU, “a great bunch of guys, very organised and motivated to do well again this year.”

Clayton has played for Upper Hutt and Rimutaka Rams teams since he left school, as well as spending several off-seasons playing in Europe.

“Jon and I played against each other a few times and rugby has been a big part of both our lives, so it only makes sense that we can try and give back to the game where we can.

“We understand how hard it is at the moment funding clubs and money is always the biggest issue, so for us this is the avenue that we decided to go down and give back where we can.”

For more information contact:

Jon Masaga 021 Masaga (627 242) or jon.masaga@amp.co.nz

Clayton Masina 022 315 2303 or clayton.masina@raywhite.com