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Kahuku Plays 15s Season in 1 Week

  • 24 May 2021
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Kahuku with Brighton in Utah

For the Kahuku Raiders, their 15s season this year was exactly one week long. Isolated on the north shore of Oahu, the team doesn’t have many local opponents in regular times, but Covid-19 completely eliminated their competition options. Fortunately, the San Diego Mustangs traveled to Kahuku for a two-game tour, and then a couple of days later, the Hawaiians were on a plane to Salt Lake City for three games in three days.

Outside of an alumnae match in December 2020, the Raiders haven’t played 15s since the 2019 high school club national final against South Bay. Yes, there was a 7s season in fall 2019, but when Covid-19 arrived in March 2020, the Oahu team had yet to play a 15s game. Even as restrictions have eased, the team has not been able to get a game against the local senior club, the Harlequins.

“We’ve had them training since January but it’s hard to keep them motivated,” Kahuku head coach Nusi Tukuafu said. “We had a couple of things fall through, so it was: Just keep training.”

Tukuafu moved back to his hometown, Salt Lake City, during the pandemic, but traveled back and forth to Oahu and still heads the Raiders’ program. Mike Tuia and Peter Williams took over the day-to-day, which also incorporates the U14s. There’s no youth season for the middle school girls, so they train with the high schoolers, like a scout team, but without the live contact.

The 2021 High School Club National Invitational Tournament was scheduled for Salt Lake City in mid-May, and when that event was canceled for Covid, Kahuku replaced it with a 15s tour to Utah. It was a tangible fixture on which the Raiders could finally rely. And then Ken Devore called. The San Diego Mustangs head coach had a group of players looking to go somewhere and play rugby, and the trip from SoCal to Honolulu was an affordable option. Tukuafu was happy to host – and will return the trip next year – and set up two 15s games for May 8 and 10.

“The first game was a little rusty. It had been over four months since they had contact against anyone other than themselves,” Tukuafu referenced the alumnae game. “The set pieces were rusty, and then just the game speed. They were trying to figure out the Mustangs and their systems. After 15 minutes, they started to figure out the attack, and running to space rather than trying to truck everyone over.”

Kahuku won the first match 53-0.


Kahuku vs. Mustangs / Photo: Leola Garvida

“San Diego came out with more aggression in the rematch,” Tukuafu said of the May 10 game. “It’s like they had a bad taste in their mouth after the first game and were more physical as far as the breakdown and counter-rucking. We adjusted. The first game was about figuring everything out and finding a rhythm, and then Monday was about finding a rhythm but under more pressure. It forced them to be more physical in the backline, and we attacked more through our centers instead of the wings and fullback around the fringe.”

Kahuku won the rematch 55-5, and it was a good warm-up for the Salt Lake City tour that same week. Volleyball had been pushed from fall to spring, so the team was without several players who were committed elsewhere. Additionally, Kahuku’s graduation was the subsequent week and some parents and players didn’t want to risk a quarantine upon their return to Hawaii. So instead of the 23-25 players that Kahuku traditionally travels with, 16 players made the trip to the mainland. Senior scrumhalf Meg Maiava, who is heading to Lindenwood University in the fall, sprained her knee during the Mustangs matches and didn’t start working in until game two.

“They were up for it,” Tukuafu said of the three-day blitz. “They were a little nervous because of the numbers but also the altitude. As soon as the team settled in from the flight, we ran them through a blowout session on Wednesday to open their lungs and acclimate to the elevation.”


Kahuku with the Mustangs / Photo: Leola Garvida

Kahuku used four United players as reserves, and they all have ties to the Raiders. Families have moved from the north shore to Salt Lake City, and so Tukuafu has coached several United players in Kahuku’s U14s or as freshmen in high school, and some parents are Kahuku alumni. Tukuafu just needed some second-half rotation in order to play three 15s games in three days. Additionally, United had originally committed to the Pink 7s, which took the place of the high school club NIT in terms of date and location, and so there was no game scheduled against the state champion. The 7s tournament was eventually canceled, and Kahuku had already finalized its travel plans and schedule, leaving no room for a fourth game between the two powerhouses.

“Brighton was more about finesse than physicality,” Tukuafu said the tour opener. “That’s something the coaching staff really targets.”

Brighton/Wasatch has also been without junior Eagle Malia Isaacs, who’s been injured this spring and injects a lot of aggression. Kahuku won that first game 45-12 and then turned around for its most physical match of the week. Tukuafu has seen the Majestics play a couple of times this spring and knew what to expect.


Meg Maiava / Photo: Leola Garvida

“The Majestics are battering rams,” Tukuafu said. “We had to change up our defensive scheme for them.”

The Raiders implemented a two-person tackling method to confront the size and power of the Majestics pack. Tukuafu modeled the technique after Lindenwood University, where his daughter, Tania, is currently attending, and the players executed well.

“Our team captains for the forwards really took it on,” Tukuafu praised junior prop Vai Talanoa and senior No. 8 Kalisi Pooi, who’s heading to Grand Canyon University in the fall. “You could hear them going into every tackle, telling the person next to them, ‘We need to connect.’ That was the word for them – ‘connect’ – and putting two on one every time they touched the ball, and then the line just moving up.”

Senior flyhalf Irie Farley and fellow captain Lome Unga Lewis set the tone in the backs and were equally influential on defense. Farley is heading to Lindenwood University after graduation and Lewis intends on becoming a Lion after community college.

But the Majestics were successful, too, and came within one score of Kahuku: 37-32.


Photo: Leola Garvida

“Their #3 is a really big player who can run, has good hands, knows what to do in the phases,” Tukuafu said of Hiva Kinikini. “I’ve been scouting for her. She reminds me of [USA Eagle] Eti [Haungatau], that size and taking 4-5 girls with her every time she carries the ball. She wasn’t the only one – there were a couple of others in the pack.”

The highlight, however, was bigger than the game itself. An electric atmosphere surrounded the field and fed into the post-match celebration.

“The park was at the center of the city,” Tukuafu said. “Growing up here it was known as ‘bum park’ because it’s near the train station and homeless shelter, but now it has an international soccer field. It must’ve just been renovated, and there were fresh rugby lines on the pitch. It was a night game, so at one point the lights came. That was very cool.”

There was a lot of foot traffic, too, and Tukuafu estimated that 300-500 spectators lined the sidewalk that encircled the pitch.

“We finished around 8:30 p.m. Usually, we pack up and go mingle with the other team for 30 minutes but we didn’t leave the park until 10 p.m.,” the coach said. “The speakers were blasting music, there were pop-up tents on the sidewalks – it was a good time. We had an 8 a.m. Covid test the next day and a game at 3 p.m., but the girls just wanted to hang out. ‘O.K., we’ll stay until 10:15 p.m., but then the lights shut off at 10:20 a.m., and I can’t control what happens after that.’


Kahuku and Majestics

“That was a heavy game, and it wore out our girls for Saturday,” Tukuafu added, “but it was worth it.”

Provo awaited on Saturday, and Tukuafu was pleasantly surprised with the team’s rally.

“We came out firing last game,” Tukuafu said. “But I told the girls, ‘Every time we make a trip into their 22 we have to come away with a score.’”

Kahuku met that challenge early on, scoring first, and then Provo answered to tie it at 5-all. Near the 20-minute mark, the Raiders attempted a penalty kick.

“Our energy level was just hanging on after that. It was a battle,” Tukuafu said. “We got inside their 22 a few more times but with no score. Provo had good defense and fresh legs, and we had no energy to push through.”

Provo took a 12-5 lead into the break, and despite a two-try surge from the Raiders, got the 26-22 win.

“And that was our whole season,” Tukuafu said with the final whistle. “I saw some tears, but I told them, ‘There’s no need to cry. I’m just happy because we made it to the end of the game. There’s nothing more I can ask of you.’


Kahuku and Provo

“A win would have been a bonus, but I could tell they were just happy with tour. It’s a big bonding thing,” the coach continued. “I’m thankful for these seniors that they got some matches in before they graduate. There were a lot of senior football players in Kahuku who had no season and missed out on college opportunities. And just playing your senior year in high school … it’s so sad what has happened in the pandemic.”

The tour also lent a sneak peek at the next iteration of Kahuku, and Tukuafu indicated that rising juniors will be the core of the team next season. Behind them, watch for freshmen like Oso Sulunga, who has been playing U10s. She’s put in a lot of time with the program and the center will likely follow Farley at flyhalf.

Freshman DaveyAnn Pula will likely play next to Sulunga at inside center. She came up through the U14s, is good on defense, and great footwork. She’s built strongly and got some time at hooker when the front row was taking some injuries. In the forwards, watch for rising sophomores Roxy Taea and Kati Crawford. Taea is a flanker and will likely take over No. 8 when Talanoa graduates. She has the same body type as Kahuku alumna Amberae Falemalu, who is graduating from Grand Canyon University this spring, and is working to build that IQ base. Crawford is tall, so she fits into the second or back rows. She had some great open field runs on tour, but with her height, she’s working on getting low into tackles.

Some of Kahuku’s players will be back in Salt Lake City for the NAI 7s in late July. Tukuafu and fellow Utah coaches are forming another select side program – Pioneer Rugby – to give more opportunities to local players. The intent is to field both girls’ and boys’ teams, and to also integrate more 15s fixtures. So stay tuned!

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