100 games for Va'a a proud achievement for high flying Wainuiomata

Former Samoan and Pacific Islands international and Wainuiomata stalwart Justin Va'a recently played his 100^th game for the green and blacks. We spoke to him about reaching his personal milestone and about his club's current strong form.

Tighthead prop Va'a said that there's much to be proud of at the moment at Wainuiomata's clubrooms, with their top team riding high in the Swindale Shield and their second fifteen leading the Senior 1 Harper Lock Shield.

"We've got depth in a lot of areas at the moment and the competition within our wider squad is keeping everyone honest, "Va'a said. ?"Everyone's pushing for spots and if you don't perform then you are going to be overtaken in the pecking order. The Senior 1sts doing really well at the moment is what's helping to drive our Premiers."

"Before my return to the club from overseas in June 2010 we had a group of young guys that had been playing together for four or five seasons and in the time that I've been back I've seen them mature - they're just natural leaders and its rubbing off on everyone else."

Va'a recently achieved a special milestone himself, reaching 100 games for the club's top side a mark that took longer to reach than many players given that his Wellington club career has also spanned four years playing for Upper Hutt , while he also spent several seasons overseas playing professional rugby in England and Scotland.

"it was very proud moment for me and my family to reach the mark of 100 games," he said. "Playing alongside such a talented team, it was good to mark the day with a win and celebrate it with those guys."

When his club career began he was still at school. "My first memory was during the school holidays and being called up to the Senior 2nds as they had a few injuries. I had a game and the following week I was asked to come to back again."

He subsequently moved up the valley to Upper Hutt and played "70-odd games" for them. He was part of the 2005 Upper Hutt team that won its first 10 matches straight in winning the Swindale Shield and then reached the semi-finals of the Jubilee Cup.

Thus ended the first stanza of Va'a's local playing career. "After that I got on to the November tour with Samoa to the UK and then I picked up for first contract, playing for London Wasps for the remainder of the 2005/06 season. The following year I went to Glasgow and I was there for four years."

Whilst at the Glasgow Warriors, Va'a played Celtic League and Heineken Cup rugby out of Scotland, alongside former Marist St Pat's wing Lome Fa'atau, while also representing Samoa - and the Pacific Islanders in five internationals in 2006 and 2008 - and playing in the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. He played the last of his 23 Tests against Italy in November 2009.

Returning home, Va'a linked up with his old Wainuiomata club for the second half of the 2010 Wellington club season and has been a mainstay of their pack ever since. He helped them to their first ever Jubilee Cup spot last year, with the promise of bigger things this season.

Having been involved in Wellington Premier rugby on and off for over a decade, Va'a says the competition is as exciting as ever . "I think Wellington rugby is in a good place", he explained. "Everyone can compete and everyone on their day can beat anyone."

"There's a lot of talented players who can make the step up to the next level, which makes the competition really tough. It's good to play and you know what you are up against week in and week out.

He said it's great to have All Black Piri Weepu playing for Wainuiomata whenever possible. "We'd have him every week if we could, but of course his main priority is with the Blues."

"When Weepu plays he lifts us. He also brings professionalism to the team as well as a bit of humour. Everyone respects him but there aren't rose petals sprinkled on the floor when he comes in or anything, he's just one of the boys."

Both Wainuiomata's top two teams can cement their positions at or near the top of their points tables this weekend. Their Swindale Shield side travels to Maoribank Park to play? winless Rimutaka and their table-topping Senior 1 side is up against ninth placed Paremata-Plimmerton at Ngatitoa Domain.