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She’s the behind-the-scenes “aunty” of Bay of Plenty rugby league, but if women’s league had been a thing in her younger years, Rotorua’s Jenny Nahu reckons she would have given it a good go.
“I would have been a yapper, playing somewhere in the halves and someone organising the play.”
Thankfully for the Bay of Plenty District Rugby League board, Nahu has instead been putting those organising skills to good use off the field for getting on 50 years.
Nahu’s name is synonymous with rugby league administration in New Zealand.
Officially holding the title of secretary and treasurer of the Bay board, many would agree she was often the glue holding things together.
Nahu said she made a pact with herself to resign when she turned 80 in February. Her resignation letter was penned in time for the board’s AGM in March, ending her reign that started in the late 1970s.
Growing up in a league family on the West Coast that built and grew clubs and players, spending her adult lifetime in the sport seemed natural.
It was at a footy match where she met her husband, Nick Nahu, when his Ngongotahā club side travelled south to clash with the Coasters.
Through Nick’s talents on the field as a representative player, she found herself immersed in Bay league.
Along came their children – two sons and two daughters – and the roles of coaching and managing children’s league teams joined the mix.
“I’ve managed that many teams – and have washed so many rugby league gears in our lives. But that was just a natural thing to do in our era.”
When you ask Nahu about her service, it’s like the proverbial getting blood out of a stone.
But if you lined up all the badges and honours she collected over the years, it becomes clear she’s been one of those cherished “doers”.
When she first put up her hand, there were two Bay boards – the schoolboys’ board and the seniors. Eventually, they merged and Nahu remained in the fold.
Formal recognition over the years included awards for Outstanding Service to the Bay of Plenty Schoolboys Board (1987); NRL Volunteer of the Year (2010); New Zealand Rugby League Female Volunteer of the Year (2015); New Zealand Rugby League Distinguished Service Award (jointly with Nick in 2022; and Zonta Rotorua’s Women’s Achievement Award (2013).
She is also a life member of Ngongotahā Rugby League Club and Bay of Plenty Rugby League Club.
One of her proudest achievements was getting the facilities – including buildings, changing rooms, grandstand and offices – for her baby, Puketāwhero Park.
She beams when she talks about those days.
“I didn’t know how we were going to get started, but I knew I was going to do it.”
A good relationship with Auckland Rugby League saw it gift Carlaw Park’s old buildings and covered grandstand, seating nearly 200, to Rotorua in 2014.
“I got it moved down here on a big truck in the middle of the night. It was so exciting. We had the foundations all ready for it and got a builder in to finish the work off.”
Next on the list was training lights for fields one and two at the park – another proud moment.
Alongside her Bay work, she was also a main character, with Nick, in the growth of the Ngongotahā Rugby League Club – being on the committee that fundraised for its new clubrooms at Neil Hunt Park 36 years ago.
Being at the coalface for so long, Nahu admitted it was hard to let go completely.
While she no longer had the fulltime role of attending meetings, keeping the books, applying for funding and writing minutes, she will hang on to the job of property manager. That will see her looking after Puketāwhero Park and all its fittings, including playing and training gear.
That still sounded like a lot of work for someone supposed to be retiring but Nahu said she was happy to continue for now, until someone else comes along to take over.
“I do feel like I’ve stepped down, though. I’m starting to go stir-crazy because I love to be busy.”
Nahu said she wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t love the game, and, on reflection, she was sad there was no such thing as women’s league in her day.
She said the growth in the girls’ and women’s grades was one of the most exciting parts of the sport nowadays.
Looking around Puketāwhero Park on Sundays and seeing the carpark heaving and sidelines full made her feel proud of how far league had come.
She was not sure New Zealand could be called a rugby nation any more.
“There are so many pathways for kids these days in league.”
There have been plenty of proud family sporting moments, too, with son, Paul Nahu, and nephew, Russell Stewart, making national sides.
Then there were the young players from Ngongotahā, including Tyson Hansen, Jacksyn Hill and Harlym McCabe, achieving great things in the U17 Warriors side.
“There are so many players who have gained New Zealand honours under our watch, and we are so proud of them. You see that happen and you know why you are doing it.”
Former Bay chairman Mark Barrack said Nahu deserved to be acknowledged for everything she had done.
Barrack, who served as board chairman for two and a half years until this year, said Nahu had always been a hard worker.
He described her as a “pain” sometimes because she was always fighting for money or funds for those involved in the game.
“That’s where the aunty-to-everyone in her was coming out. Her knowledge was second-to-none and her energy and enthusiasm was 100%.
“I don’t think the Bay of Plenty Rugby League board realises yet just how much work she did behind the scenes.”
He said he was glad she was maintaining the role of looking after the jewel that is Puketāwhero Park, and no one could be trusted more to do that.
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