A_lvn190521dave: Last season's Heartland Player of the Year and Maori Player of the Year Joel Winterburn in action for Rahui. Photo: Dave Lintott.
A_lvn190521dave: Last season's Heartland Player of the Year and Maori Player of the Year Joel Winterburn in action for Rahui. Photo: Dave Lintott.
Joel Winterburn has had to wait a long time to be awarded his Horowhenua-Kāpiti blazer for playing 25 representative matches.
The 31-year-old loose forward from Rāhui made his debut for Horowhenua-Kāpiti in 2011, playing nine games in his first season.
But an overseas rugby sojourn later that year took him to Perth, Australia, and there he stayed for seven years playing senior club rugby, driving delivery trucks through the day, and playing with and against a host of expatriate Kiwis and South Africans.
"It was a good experience. A few of us [from Ōtaki] went over and played rugby and worked. It was a good standard of rugby, too," he said.
And hot. Winterburn said some games were played in searing heat, well over 30C, which meant there had to be a break every 20 minutes for drinks. It was a long way from the frosty training runs under lights at Rāhui Domain.
But there is no place like home, and Winterburn returned to New Zealand at the beginning of 2018, reuniting with his beloved Rāhui club and regaining a spot in the Horowhenua-Kāpiti Heartland team, playing eight Heartland games that year.
Joel Winterburn regained selection for Horowhenua-Kāpiti on his return from Perth in 2018.
But with Covid-19 curtailing the Heartland championship last season, it had taken Winterburn that wee bit longer to reach his blazer game.
To be selected again this season was a continuation of the good form that won him Horowhenua-Kāpiti Heartland Player of the Year and also the Horowhenua-Kāpiti Māori Player of the Year award in 2020.
It meant a lot to him as his grandfather Mike and Uncle Anzac had both played for Horowhenua Māori. Anzac (Nu) Winterburn had also represented New Zealand Māori as a lock forward.
Ex-Horowhenua openside flanker Mario Hori Te Pa and Joel Winterburn go over some of the names on the Māori Player of the Year trophy at the last awards ceremony.
The Winterburn family were staunch Rāhui and Horowhenua-Kāpiti supporters and attended most local games.
"They give me plenty of advice," he said.
But the Winterburn whanau won't be at Levin Domain for the game tomorrow. Unfortunately, because of Covid-19 Level 2 restrictions, no spectators were allowed at the venue.
The same rules applied to the HKRU Women's competition that started at Playford Park on Wednesday night, and age grade representative games (U16, U18 Girls and U18 Boys games) this weekend.
But do not despair, HKRU were doing their best with limited resources to live stream the North Otago game on Saturday, complete with live updates from the ground by Foxton commentator Nathan Paki.
A_lvn190521dave: Last season's Heartland Player of the Year and Maori Player of the Year Joel Winterburn in action for Rahui. Photo: Dave Lintott.
Supporters were able to watch a live stream of HK's 28-21 win against West Coast in Greymouth last week, a win made more meritorious considering eight players were making their representative debut.
Kenan Gillson, Benedict Grant, Tautau Kapea, Andrew Knewstubb, Ash Robinson-Bartlett, Daniel Smith, James Gilland and Simon Butler all wore the red, white and blue for the first time.
That match also represented the 50th game for HK prop Dave McErlean, who gets another chance of the bench tomorrow.
NZ Sevens rep Andrew Knewstubb switches from centre to fullback, with Leon Ellison and Taurtau Kapea pairing in the midfield. Ryan Shelford captains the team again at lock.
