Player Profiles: The 'Back Three'
The progression of the club rugby season has seen more players get opportunities and new combinations to form. Over the past two weeks the back trio of Viliame Saukuru, Noah Guise and Tomasi Connor has taken the field for our Premiers, with all three players finding the tryline.
Viliame Saukuru
Tell us about home and your rugby background?
I only started playing rugby at the age of 11 and made it to the Nadi Baby Jets team until I finished primary school. I then joined Ratu Kadavulevu school in Tailevu from year nine to year twelve.
I didn’t play much rugby till year twelve then I decided I wanted to play for the school's Under 18; we lost at the quarters in 2022.
I came to New Zealand later on that year and joined Wesley College in 2023 played a few 1st XV games but unfortunately didn’t play much rugby in 2023 due to injury. I got back to playing at the Condors 7s which was my first game back, then i joined the Pukekohe Men’s 7s side where I was lucky to be selected for the Counties Manukau 7s side. I came to Wellington and joined Marist St Pats earlier this year.
How have you found the club?
I find Marist St Pats welcoming; everyone at MSP is nice and friendly. It is a good environment for me because I get to learn and develop not only as a player but as a person too. I actually enjoy everything about New Zealand to be honest!
Noah Guise
Tell us about home and your rugby background?
I grew up playing rugby in Karaka, a small, South Auckland country town. With my family being huge rugby fanatics, it was inevitable I graced a rugby field. Throughout junior rugby I spent my time playing restricted rugby at Karaka rugby club, blessed enough to be coached by my dad Daniel. Being the coach's son was actually the opposite to what you typically thought, I was pushed much harder and ridiculed more often. I saw this as a challenge, I did everything I could to get words of praise out of my dad, I knew that when I did, he really, really meant it.
Challenges arose all too often in my junior rugby experience. I broke my collar bone and was out for most of the final year of junior rugby. I missed the Counties Manukau Roller Mills representative trials, the main goal I had that year. I was able to get back to full health and play out the final games of that season. After playing well enough, I was invited to the second trial. I eventually went on to make the Counties Manukau Roller Mills team where we placed 5th in the annual tournament. This all stems from being pushed by my parents at a young age, learning to never take things for granted, nothing is ever impossible, if you really want it.
I attended Sacred Heart College in Auckland where I continued to play rugby. It wasn’t until Year 11, 2019 where another challenge presented itself. I had dislocated my shoulder five times throughout the previous year and was forced to get surgery. After being out for that entire year, I was fortunate enough to make the 1XV wider squad in 2020, where we were unfortunate enough to only play half a season due to Covid. During that season I dislocated my shoulder again, forcing me into another surgery. With my goal of playing in the 1XV slowly diminishing before my eyes, my family and I were determined to not let injuries upset my trajectory. Between the end of 2020 and the start of 2021, with tireless help from my parents, I had rehabbed my shoulder back to full health and was clear to play. I went on to make, and play in the Sacred Heart College 1XV in 2021.
What brought you to Wellington? And how have you found the club?
I came to Wellington to study Architecture at Victoria University. It was between Auckland and Wellington, I chose Wellington because I wanted to get away from Auckland and experience living independently in a new city with new people. I already knew that a number of Sacred Heart old boys were playing at Marist St Pats, so I thought it would be a cool idea to join them. With the great connection Sacred Heart Old Boys have, Lourdaiz got in contact with me. A week later, myself and a few other Sacred Heart boys my age were at preseason training.
My favourite rugby memory?
Sacred Heart finally winning the 1A. Going to Sacred Heart, everyone knew about the challenge of winning the 1A, the hardest High school rugby competition. That was the school's goal, everyone knew it. Each year where we thought that it was ours to win, we come up short. Until 2023 we had another chance at breaking the now 58 year drought. We were set up to face our biggest rivals, Saint Kentigern's College. The game had all supporters anxious and tense with it going back and forth for the entire 70 minutes, until the final whistle blew, and we had finally done it after 58 years.
Tomasi Connor
Tell us about home and your rugby background?
I’m from Whanganui and went to Cullinane College which a very small Marist Catholic school of about 270 students at the time.
I started playing rugby in year 9 and kept on till now. I enjoyed playing representative rugby throughout my time at high school but it wasn’t until I came to university when I decided to focus on rugby as rowing was my main sport back in high school.
What brought you to Wellington? And how have you found the club?
I came to Marist St Pats to explore a new opportunity. During my three years at OBU I always heard about the great rugby culture MSP had which was another factor which influenced my decision to move.
In addition, my grandfather is an St Pats Town old boy so I wanted to carry on family ties to Marist St Pats.
My favourite rugby memory?
My favourite rugby memory was definitely winning the 2021 Div 1 colts grade in Wellington against Petone. The weather was miserable, the field was practically a foot under water and the game went to overtime. Our team won on the last play and the rest was history.
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