Hawke's Bay Magpies winger Lolagi Visinia finds home in HB

Lolagi Visinia on his way to scoring Hawke's Bay's first try in their win over Canterbury. Photo / Paul Taylor

Back in April during the Covid lockdown, Hawke's Bay Magpies rookie of the year Lolagi Visinia was stuck at home in Auckland wondering what he would be doing for the rest of the year.

The 27-year-old winger had just returned to the city of his birth after the Japanese Top League was cancelled at the end of March, bringing his tenure with the NEC Green Rockets to a premature end.

Visinia was in his first season in Japan after a couple of years at Grenoble in France, having left New Zealand Rugby and the Blues behind in 2016.

It was during that lockdown period, cooped up at home with family, that he decided to sign a three-year contract with the Magpies.

"[Head coach] Mark Ozich hit me up and gave me an opportunity to come down to the Bay," Visinia said.

"I thought 'why not', I had nothing really going on for me for the rest of the year."

The leap of faith has surely paid off for the Samoan New Zealander, whose father and mother are from the villages of Afega and Lefaga on the island.

On Tuesday night he was named as the Magpies' rookie of the year for a campaign in which he has played all but one match and scored four tries so far.

Winger Lolagi Visinia has blown everyone away with his performances in his maiden Magpies campaign. Photo / Paul Taylor

Visinia humbly said he didn't expect the honour, but was grateful and thankful to receive it.

"Wouldn't have done it without the boys by my side," he said.

The former All Blacks Sevens representative recently signed on with the Hurricanes for Super Rugby in 2021 off the back of his form with Hawke's Bay.

"I've enjoyed my time here, it's helped me as a player and as an individual just in general," Visinia said.

"I'm just happy with the way the year has gone so far for us, and hopefully we can finish on a high this Friday night against Northland."

Visinia will be marking Taniwha left winger Jone Macilai for the second time this season in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship final.

"It's funny, I've actually played with him and against him a couple of times, so I kinda know how to play against him," he said of the Fijian.

"Obviously he's a good runner, a good finisher and is going to be hard to put down."

Visinia is hoping another big home crowd can help the Magpies triumph after more than 10,000 fans were at McLean Park for last week's 59-23 semifinal win over Taranaki.

"Because that's what's been keeping us going strong throughout the whole season, especially at home," he said.

"It kinda started from that Canterbury game, especially coming back from behind and scoring that last try at the end, to have that crowd behind us roaring us on and cheering us makes us feel more special and want to do better every week."

There is one fan he is especially excited to have in the crowd on Friday night – his mother, who is travelling down to see him play in Hawke's Bay for the first time.

"It's going to be special and a big highlight for me for the year," he said.

Kickoff against the Taniwha is at 7.05 pm.