By PETER ROWE
“We’re a long way from home and this tournament helps bring us all together, proud of our history and our heritage.”
The words of Hawaiki Roa founder Zak Spier sums up what the Harmony Nines is all about.
“Playing rugby league for our families here and back there.”
Zak has experienced all seven editions of this ever-growing event and is just as excited now as he was back then when it all began.
“It’s an amazing tournament with all the colours of different nations and cultures coming together over one weekend to play the game,” he said.
“We’ve won the men’s four times and our ladies have won once and every year we still want to not just win, to be part of it.
“The footy of course, but all the dances, the food and Haka’s and the like, it’s an amazing gathering.”
Hawaii Roa will have three teams at the eighth Harmony Nines at Larkhill, the home of the Rockingham Sharks this weekend, with a men’s open, a masters and a ladies team.
And with current WA coach and local footy legend Delane Edwards coaching their men’s open team, there’s quiet confidence of another trophy this year.
“Maybe,” Zak added. “It’s going to be another tough competition with so many good teams playing. We are excited and ready to go.”
Equally excited is Tonga player-coach Paasi Fine.
With five teams coming together there will be plenty of red and white on display over the weekend with the amazing Sipi Tau a cultural highlight.
“It’s our seventh appearance,” Paasi told NRLWA.
“A few challenges but we are ready. It’s such an amazing weekend to showcase our culture and to bring all our families together.
“Without families and supporters we wouldn’t be there – so a big thank you to them.”
The recent success of the Tongan national team has been a massive influence on the local community – about 600 strong – and all the players love the energy and passion the weekend brings.
“All our new players, especially some of the boys and girls who have been born here and have never actually been to Tonga, love to hear the stories of our culture and heritage. It’s so important to pass that on.
“A coming together, understanding who and what we are, our culture and our hymns.”
And using rugby league as the vehicle to do that is so important to the many communities represented.
Tonga will field a men’s open, a masters, a women’s team and boys and girls under-16s sides, with many of the men’s teams coming from union.
“It’s great to get them to come over and play league,” Paasi said.
Over 70 teams will compete with approximately 1400 players plus staff, volunteers and supporters masking this one of the biggest, if not ‘the’ biggest multicultural sporting events in Australia.
Teams representing Fiji, Samoa, The Cook Islands, Niue, PNG, Tonga, from both north and south islands of New Zealand representing all Maori cultures, Indigenous and Aussie Bushrangers, GB expats and this year the touring England Lions. Even the Cocos Islands have a side, and some players have made the trip from Christmas Island to also be a part of the weekend.
Men’s, Women’s, Masters (over 35s) and junior boys and girls (u16s).
A coming together of the rugby league family in a very special way over three days. A nine-a-side version that is fast, furious and fantastic.
For Vilai Kelemete, founder and president of Rugby League Samoa WA, it’s about participation and culture.
RLSWA has five teams playing – men’s open, men’s masters, women’s open and masters and a boys U16s team, along with 2 other proud Samoan men’s teams from Perth Samoa.
“It’s a chance to represent family, parents and grandparents for many of our younger players,” Villa said.
“Pride in representing Samoa – it’s been a big week for our nation with the King visiting and our national team playing England.”
For Vilai it’s also about the other cultures. “The Cook Island drums, the dances, the food. It’s an amazing weekend,” he said.
“And this year we have the English Lions playing.”
Kaisha Jetta will playing for the Indigenous women’s team at the Harmonies and Uncle Trevor – a Noongar elder – will be conducting the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony at the opening on Saturday morning.
With the game being played on Noongar land, Kaisha says it great to be able to showcase their culture and help with reconciliation.
“We have a few non-indigenous players and that’s important for reconciliation and moving forward,” she said.
“Our men won the tournament last year and our women made the semis – we’d like to achieve success again this year, but it is also so important to be able to represent our people on our land.”
Meanwhile for Fiji it’s about bringing all types of cultures together to play and promote rugby league.
Before their games players will sing the traditional hymn, Oqo Nobu Masu, which translates to ‘This is my prayer’.
“The Fijian Bati team sing this before games so it is our special way,” coach Mo Waqa said.
“For us Fijian culture is about three things: faith, family and footy.”
Fiji will have four teams represented at this year’s Harmonies – their seventh appearance at the event. A men’s and women’s team and for the first time boys and girls under-16 sides.
“It is a fantastic weekend,” Mo added.
We have been planning and preparing for this weekend for a while, we can’t wait.”
For the England Lions, this year will be an amazing opportunity to savour all the cultures of rugby league in the southern hemisphere.
“We’ve heard so much about this event,” coach Paul Couch said.
“It will be a tremendous honour to participate and a great way to bring our tour of WA to a positive end. I know all the players and their families, who have flown out from England to support them, will love it.”
With help from the GB expats team, who always make an impression at the tournament, in open and masters teams, there will be plenty of red, white and blue on display.
The multi colours of so many cultures, all bound by one common theme – rugby league – is what makes Harmony Cup so good.
The eighth Harmony Nines kicks off on Friday evening and runs until Sunday evening at the Larkhill Sportsplex in Port Kennedy – the home of the Rockingham Sharks.
Make sure you get there to witness what rugby league and our many cultural colours are all about.
