Tamatea 200: but ‘just another day in the office’ for YMP stalwart

YMP lock Willis Tamatea soars in a lineout in a Premier club rugby game against OBM. Tamatea, part of a rugby family dynasty at YMP, will play his 200th Premier game for the club tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

Loyal YMP servant Willis Tamatea will achieve a rare milestone when he runs on to the paddock at Te Karaka tomorrow.

Tamatea will make his 200th Poverty Bay Premier club rugby appearance in the black and white jersey as his competition-leading team take on GT Shearing Waikohu.

The feat will be achieved in front of many whānau and friends, including brother and YMP head coach Kahu Tamatea, and will be marked with the presentation of a blazer.

Kahu said memories of playing with their family go back to the beginning of the century.

“When Dad (Ron), Willis and I first played together it was the early 2000s and in 2010, Dad, Willis, Morgan (brother) and I all played together.” Kahu said.

Willis began his club career on the wing but  ended up in the forwards where he has thrived.

“I’ve loved seeing the evolution of Willis starting out, wanting to be a winger like Dad was,” Kahu said.

“But he was like a new-born giraffe — very gangly. He didn’t have the best hands but had a huge heart and love for YMP.

“After a couple of years of battling away, he was asked to jump in the forwards and something just clicked, and he’s never looked back.

“From playing for our beloved club together to me now coaching and him being one of the leaders has been another highlight.

The “cherry on top” occurred last year when YMP ended a 12-year Lee Bros Shield title drought.

Willis made his Premier debut in the John Ferris-coached YMP side almost 20 years ago.

His first game was under lights at Rugby Park against a strong Pirates side in April 2004 (an 11-6 loss).

As he flourished in the forwards, it put him on the Poverty Bay radar.

He made the Poverty Bay under-20s squad and in 2008 was promoted to the Heartland squad coached by Paul Feeney.

He  debuted for the Bay lock in a pre-season game against Wairarapa Bush.

Willis played 10 games that season and scored his first and only (so far) try for the Bay.

He has played 39 games in the scarlet jersey over eight seasons and could add to that count this year after being selected in the extended Bay squad for the King’s Birthday Weekend clash with Ngāti Porou East Coast.

While siblings playing together are common, it is a rarity for brothers and their father to appear alongside each other.

Willis, Kahu and Ron  made this a reality in the early 2000s.

“I’m very proud of the accomplishments and how he has progressed over the years,” said Ron, who played Premier rugby for YMP into his 50s and whose last game was at Senior 1 level in 2021 at the age of 60..

“I played (Premier) for ‘a few’ years and had to retire to give my boys some space.”

Ron said Willis had always been driven by his passions.

“On and off the paddock, when he puts his mind to things, he goes out and does it. You know how everybody makes their position theirs, well he makes any position he plays in his.

“His grandfather would be very proud of him. I named him after his grandfather and his approach to everything in life is full on, dedicated . . . he puts his hand up for just about everything.

“From starting out in the under-20s he’s become a leader, a great and humble leader at that.”

Humble is  the best description of Willis, given his response when asked about his 200th cap for his beloved club.

“It’s probably not something I set out to do,” said Willis, a policeman and father of three girls.

“Playing is just playing for the love of the game and reaching 200 games, it’s kinda just crept up on me.”

Waikohu face defending champs YMP tomorrow and it is an opportunity for the men from Te Karaka to even the score after being beaten 26-7 in their Round 1 clash

“It’s another day at the office for me,” Willis said. “It’s always a battle with Waikohu. These are the games that you always get up on and enjoy.

“You always want to play against the best and in order to be the best, you have to play the best.

“It will be good to do battle against them and share a cold one afterwards.”

East Coast Farm Vets YMP will be determined to  claim a victory for Willis to ice his 200th cake.

And keeping to what has become a Tamatea tradition, Willis will be playing alongside another brother tomorrow — Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea.

In other Civil Project Solutions Premier games, Larsawn Ngatapa host Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates at Paddy’s Park and Earthwork Solutions High School Old Boys take on Enterprise Cars OBM at the Oval.

Ngatapa are defending their home ground against a Pirates side developing well but still looking for their first win of the season.

However, nothing to lose and everything to gain makes Pirates dangerous.

HSOB, who had to default last week due to a lack of players, are back and searching for their second win  of the season.

That will be a tall order against an OBM side who beat them 55-22 in Round 1 and are sitting second on the table.

OBM are still without star utility back Moses Christie , out with injury.

The Premier competition will take a mid-season break for the annual Poverty Bay v Ngāti Porou East Coast derby being held at the Oval the Saturday of King’s Birthday Weekend.