Bruce Bisset: Jonah a giant on and off the field

Ngahiwi Tomoana is the chairman of Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.

The giant is asleep. Moe mai i to moenga roa!

Travelling with Jonah, Michael Jones and Junior Tonu'u around all the Pacific Islands to promote the 2011 Rugby World Cup, I heard the story that Jonah owned the backseat of the All Blacks touring bus, which meant fighting everyone one else off of it! However, the rugby "never-say-die" attitude prevailed, and there were always aspirants and challengers for this honour as a rite of passage, even if it meant a split lip, a black eye, or a swollen neck!

Jonah fell asleep one time, and was attacked by his teammates, all endeavouring to wrestle him from the seat.

He exploded awake of course, and fought them all off ... three, four, five and more all at the same time, and he wasn't happy until he threw the bus driver out too, and you can only guess what happened to the bus!

But he was never bothered again!

"Don't believe anything they say, bro", was his soft, chuckling response.

Jonah reminds us that there is a sleeping giant within all of us, just waiting to be roused, to be triggered off.

Rongokako is our metaphor for the sleeping giant within each of us. This is the giant Rongokako; son of Tamateaarikinui, commander of the Takitimu waka, grandfather of Kahungunu, possessing superhuman strength, who leapt across Te Moana o Raukawa, the Cook Strait and back again, then sprung from mountain top to mountain top, from Wairarapa to Cape Kidnappers, to Mahia, on to Gisborne, pole-vaulting his way to Whakatane, and from there, across to Tauranga, stubbing his toe on Whakaari, White Island, and sparking off the volcano that still hisses and roars today.

For his efforts, he won the heart of Muriwhenua, the astonishing princess from the north, and from this union, we of Ngti Kahungunu descend.

Ngti Kahungunu publicly adopted Jonah and his wife Nadene and their family into our tribe when he was the guest speaker at our 2013 Ngti Kahungunu Sports Awards.

He is, and always will be, one of us, because we said so, and he agreed!

We are the only iwi to adopt him. We took him and his whnau into our hearts, not just because of his fantastic superhero feats on the rugby fields, bouncing defenders off like skittles and dominoes, weaving trails of destruction and wreckage worthy of foreign aid support, but also because he was a giant of a man off the field, in terms of his inspiration, dedication and humility, never bemoaning his failing health, always looking to support others.

Jonah, son of Kahungunu, arch-athlete of Aotearoa, pou tokomanawa of the Pacific, warrior of the world, stride forth across the heavens, take your place with the gods, and sleep in heavenly peace!

-Ngahiwi Tomoana is the chairman of Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated.

-Bruce Bisset will return next week.