Creggs' adopted Kiwi proud to help club make history

With Creggs rugby at an all-time high, new addition Xavier Woodhouse Tavai has been reflecting on the team’s achievements — a season that procured a Connacht League and Cup double for the first time since 1989.

Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, the 20-year-old has been playing rugby since he was 11 years old.

“I had a great passion for it,” he told the Roscommon Herald.

Xavier made his way to Ireland in an unusual way. The opportunity arose for one lucky New Zealander to come to Ireland and commit to rugby. Knowing all the opportunities this could bring, he signed up.

For most people this would be a daunting decision, but it was an easy one for Xavier.

“There was an opportunity to sharpen my skills and grow personally,” he said.

New Zealand, with its dedication to rugby, had “a lot of strong players”, making Ireland an ideal change of scenery.

His destination was Creggs RFC on the Galway/Roscommon border. Arriving to vastly different weather, he took the change in his stride. He quickly blended in with the team and the culture of the club. 

Creggs is great. The rugby grounds have great facilities. A fully equipped gym and four pitches, it's all a rugby player needs to progress

“The lads just treated me like one of them, like I had grown up with them,” he added.

Within a few weeks he had fully integrated into the team, working hard to achieve the goals. Of course, being a Kiwi came with a few questions.

“The lads wanted to know more about the Haka, but we only perform that on certain occasions. There are so many similarities between the two countries, I kind of felt like I fitted in.”

Outside of his shower breaking down for a week, he was faced with few difficulties on his arrival. On the pitch, Creggs hadn’t won the cup since 1993, while the league and cup double hadn’t been done in 36 years.

But that 36-21 triumph against Dunmore in Ballina on March 30th allowed Creggs rewrite the history books. Xavier showcased a blend of agility and finesse rarely associated with second-row forwards and had a series of high impact plays in the match.

“There has never been a question around dedication. We train together two times a week with four gym sessions on top of that. Everyone is there and shows up looking to work towards a win,” said Xavier, who also spends his time working at the nearby Murray’s Sawmill in Ballygar.

With the curse now crushed, new goals are already being worked on.

“Our main goal as a team moving forward would be the AIL. We are training harder than ever before to try and move up there.” 

With only seven months spent in Ireland, he has made a great impact on the Creggs team. He has made many contributions during the club’s historic season. His time in Ireland has been well spent but, as summer draws near, his intention is to return to New Zealand.

“I want to head back for the winter rugby season over there, so it will be two winters back-to-back for me really.” 

Although there might be no chance of a summer in Ireland for him this year, his work ethic and skill continue to shine through. The future is bright, and he is hopeful he will return to Creggs after his time at home in a bid to build on the club’s historic season.