Tom Maiava’s incredible journey from Sydney F45 coach to Hong Kong Sevens
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Samoa’s Tom Maiava dropped his head as Spain kicked the ball into touch on Friday morning. With the SVNS Series’ 10th-placed side claiming a thrilling 17-14 win over one of their bottom-four rivals, it was a moment that could have huge ramifications for both teams.
Walking as one down towards the tunnel at the world-famous Hong Kong Stadium, you could see how much the pain of defeat hurt. With South Africa and Ireland still to play in Pool C, that was a match that both Samoa and Spain needed to win.
But after stopping for a few minutes to chat about the match, Samoa playmaker Tom Maiava let out a smile. After debuting in Perth a couple of months ago, the SVNS Series rookie was playing at the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens for the first time.
From that perspective, it’s a feel-good rugby story, but there’s much more to this tale. For Tom Maiava, playing for Samoa at the spiritual home of the sport is another significant milestone in the former F45 coach’s journey to international rugby.
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There are more than 7,300 kilometres between Hong Kong China and Sydney. After moving across the ditch from New Zealand, Maiava calls Sydney’s eastern suburbs home and has experience as an F45 gym coach.
“Coogee is my home,” Maiava told RugbyPass at Hong Kong Stadium. “I moved to Australia from New Zealand, moved over to Randwick, great club down there – up the wicks!
“Transitioned to working at F45. Great man (former Wallaby) Stephen Hoiles runs the place… just chipping along.
“This opportunity appeared after my time was done… managed to move into Samoa and make it happen. Good to be here.”
Maiava began playing for Randwick in New South Wales’ Shute Shield competition before going on to wear Samoa’s iconic blue strip at the 2023 Pacific Games, and later the SVNS Series.
The Samoa international has impressed so far and was on the field as the game clock ticked closer to full-time against Spain on Friday morning. Samoa did what they could but it wasn’t to be in the end.
Spain had an attacking scrum feed with about 18 seconds left on the clock, and as time continued to tick by, it seemed that the Samoan’s fate was sealed. The Spanish pushed back against a strong surge at the scrum to win both the feed and match.
With just two tournaments to go until the Grand Final event – and that includes this weekend’s tournament at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – time, much like in their loss to Spain, is running out for Samoa.
“It’s always disappointing losing to any team,” Maiava explained. “When you work so hard and just those little skills at the end cost us.
“Heaps of room for improvement, obviously it’s a long tournament, anything can happen. Just looking to pick ourselves back up, regroup and go again.
“We talked about how crucial that result was for us so to lose like that, obviously it dims out lights a bit.
“But again, we can’t sit around for too long and sulk and stuff. (We’ll) get ready for the next game against Ireland. Obviously a good team. Just fix those things and hopefully come away with a win.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments