Family ties binding the Wainuiomata Premiers

If you're part of the 28-strong Wainuiomata squad and you don't have a brother, cousin or uncle playing alongside you or as part of the management or coaching staff you're in the minority.

In fact all but eight players in this year's squad are not connected in some way through family ties to at least one other person in the Wainuiomata Premiers, says coach Justin Wilson.

"Many of our guys are connected to each other through family ties, as cousins, brothers and uncles," explains Justin, "and if they're not we adopt them anyway so it doesn't matter."

Wilson himself is uncle to halfback Frae Wilson and brother to Frae Wilson Senior, the side's manager this year and former coach.

"We've got six sets of brothers who have played Premier rugby for Wainuiomata's Swindale Shield and Jubilee Cup team together in 2014."

"There are brothers John and Eden Monu, Justin and David Va'a, Fa'atau and Isaiah Mamea, Greg and Dion Lealofi, Blaize and Erich Tuisala and Andrew and Anthony Mamea.

"Piri Weepu and Josh Roberston-Weepu are the uncle-nephew combination in the unit".

Coach Justin Wilson and halfback Frae Wilson are another uncle and nephew combination, while Frae's father, Frae Wilson Snr, is the manager of the team. Jason Love and Marvin Karawana are cousins.

Ben Tupuola is the brother-in-law of Tau and Isaiah Mamea. ?

Additionally, loose forward and recent Premier captain Genesis Mamea, who hasn't played for the team this season and has just left to play in France for two seasons, is Tau and Isaish's cousin and Anthony and Andrew Mamea's older brother.

"We're a small, tight-knit community that is linking sport to our families and as such we've got a special group here regardless of how far we go this year."

Justin Wilson says that the team is taking it one step at a time, despite entering this weekend's halfway stage of the Jubilee Cup round-robin in equal first with Hutt Old Boys Marist on 12 points.

In a competition that is all about momentum, Wainuiomata's supporters - many of whom are also sisters, brothers, uncles and aunties of the players out on the field - will be looking at the final month of the regular season with enthusiasm.

Looking at the Jubilee Cup historically, Wainuiomata could be just a win away from the Jubilee Cup semi-finals and with a home match this weekend they can take another step to achieving their goal of playing finals football.

On Saturday, they reversed a 25-point first round loss to OBU to beat them 23-19 at home at William Jones Park.

No. 8 Tupuola has been in top form all season and currently leads the Wellington club rugby Best & Fairest competition. Wilson says Tupuola is making the most of his opportunity after coming back from adversity having had operations on both his shoulders. Prior to that he was playing rugby league after previously playing for Wainuiomata's Premiers in 2008 and 2009.

Two of the brothers, Andrew and Anthony Mamea, are due to report back for Premier duty to the club this week, after spending the last several weeks with Samoa's U20 team.

Young flanker Henry Stowers is serving a four-week IRB suspension after being found guilty of dangerous play while playing for Samoa U20 against Australia U20 recently, and is available from 12 July.

With the Blues likely to bow out of Super Rugby at the end of the round-robin and the Highlanders on track to join them if the Hurricanes beat the Crusaders on Saturday, Piri Weepu and Frae Wilson could also both be available to play one or two games at the business end of the season, boosting the team and family connections in the green and black Jersey.

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