Newsletter -Edition 1

Inside this issue

* Congratulations Lisa & Bronson * Auckland 9’s * in Wellington * Academy * WRL Clubs Conference * Leonardo Va’a 9’s

Visit us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wellington-Rugby-League/149807975039915 Academy pushing players to the limit both physically & mentally.....

We have had a great response to the Academy program which started late last year with 25-30 players between 15-18 years of age that have attended training with the goal of making the Wellington academy 16s and 18s teams. We have a group of 20 players who have attended regularly four times a week where they are pushed to the limit both physically and mentally. These young men have been working hard in the gym during their weight sessions which they do 3-4 times a week before they go out onto the field to do either a fitness,speed or skill session which lasts for 45 minutes to an hour. The Academy is based at Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Porirua and is open to all of those wishing to improve their fitness and skill levels. Next week on the 19th of February at 6pm we have NZRL and NRL welfare officer Joe Harawira coming to talk to the boys about League life in the professional arena as well as talk to parents and offer advice for those who would like to know more about life as a league player, anyone who would like to attend is more than welcome. Peter Rikiriki Newcastle Knights visit

The Newcastle Knights have renewed their Wellington relationship with the recently held training camp. Organised by the Te Aroha club in conjunction with Wellington , Tamati Whangai and Weltec around 100 local rugby league players had the chance to attend the clinic run by Newcastle Knights legend Michael Hagan who was accompanied by former Kiwi and Knights players Craig Smith and Jeremy Smith along with Troy Prezet, Knights 20s coach. Weltec hosted an evening event on Wednesday where players and families were exposed to the Weltec campus and various courses on offer. The Knights group were there to talk about the long pathway to an NRL career with the overriding message of having a career path outside of rugby league driven by study. Former Knights and Kiwis player David Lomax says the group talked about player development and the benefits of combining high level sporting performance with education. He says a number of prominent Wellington players have ended up at the Knights, starting with its first NRL captain Sam Stewart, who started his career with Wellington club the Randwick Kingfishers. “They’re a really strong rugby league community in Newcastle. I remember when I used to play there it would be 20,000-plus at every game. Coming back to Wellington they do the same thing. Sure they are going to try to create pathways for young people and look at the elite kids and take them away but they also have a sense of community as well which is why they are coming over to talk about education and they are inviting not just the elite kids but all other kids as well so I’m looking forward to it,” Mr Lomax says. The boys were then put through their paces on Thursday morning with the Knights group and many of the boys impressed with their fitness testing results. General Manager, Jason Hemson a born and bred Novocastrian said it was great that the Knights are again looking to build a strong relationship with Wellington. “Over the years there have been strong links between to the 2 regions with players like Sam Stewart, Tony Kemp and John Schuster all from Wellington having written their names in Knights folklore. Even now we have 3 Wellington boys making their mark with the Knights in Jo Tapine, Danny Levi and Pride Petterson-Robati” Tapine and Levi have both played for the and played in this year’s NRL Auckland 9s. Auckland 9’s It was like a Wellington reunion in the player’s lounge at the Auckland 9s. Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm) Danny Levi, Jo Tapine (Knights) Bureta Faraimo (Eels) Ava Seumanufagai (Tigers) Isaac Luke (Rabbitohs) Ben Matulino(Warriors)Matt Robinson(Titans) Sika Manu, Tupou Sopoaga (Panthers) Sam Tagatese (Sharks)

Added to that the Nikorima brothers from Palmy with the Broncos and that’s not a bad group of players.

Welcome to the world

Congratulations to Lisa & Bronson Marino

Ria Mikayla Rauhihi-Marino was born on the 07/01/2015