Parkes Boars’ inspirational player-coach Heamani Lavaka will hang up his boots on an illustrious rugby playing career after tomorrow’s Blowes Clothing Cup grand final in Orange.
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The popular Parkes prop has made an ever-lasting impression on local football, successfully winning both the Group 11 rugby league and Central West rugby union competitions.
43 year old “Hair”, as he is affectionately known, will head into tomorrow’s decider against an Orange City team that has not lost a match for more than two years, feeling the time is right to end his playing days.
“It seems like the right time to retire,” Heamani said.
“I have enjoyed a long career with many great memories.
“Unfortunately, nobody can go on forever and my body is not holding up the way it used to.
“Hopefully the boys and I can share in one last victory tomorrow,” he said.
Hair started playing in 1981 with his school Tonga College.
He played for five years, never making the First 15.
Most people who have seen Heamani play for the Boars would be surprised to know that he started as a winger.
For fours years after school, Heamani couldn’t find time to play any rugby as he was working with his father.
He eventually started his senior career as a breakaway with local club Fasi- Maufanga in Tonga.
After some success at club level, Heamani tried out for the Tongan national squad as a prop with the belief he had more chance at selection in that position than breakaway.
It proved a good decision with the big forward going on to be capped 35 times in a memorable career for his country.
Heamani was invited to Australia by fellow Tongan, the late Malakai Fisiilose, to join his old school team mate Tonga Folau here in Parkes.
He was 29 when he moved here with the intention of retiring from rugby.
But Easts in the Sydney rugby union competition were aware of his ability and convinced him to join their ranks.
He started playing first grade with Easts - and continued to for nine seasons from 2001-2009.
In 2008 and 2009, Heamani was living in Parkes and being flown to Sydney each Saturday to play with Easts, and then returning to play for the Parkes Spacemen rugby league club on the Sunday.
In the 2009 off season, he played with the Melbourne Rebels.
He didn’t play rugby in 2010, concentrating on league and going on to win the premiership with the Spacemen.
In 2011, Heamani returned to play rugby, concentrating on his favoured sport, highlighted by the Boars winning the competition with him as player-coach.
He again player-coached the Boars in 2012, this time to a commendable third place.
In the same year, he won the Woodbridge Cup rugby league competition with Eugowra Golden Eagles.
While Heamani is ending his playing career tomorrow, he is still keen to play a big part in his beloved Boars’ future.
“I have enjoyed every minute of my time playing sport in Parkes,” Heamani said.
“I look forward to helping the Boars continue their growth as a club.
“It is getting stronger every year, not only on the field but from an administration perspective also.
“While I am hanging my boots up, I’m not throwing them out.
“You never know what will happen in the future,” he said.
