July 12, 2024 • 8 mins
Students and staff at a prestigious and proud sporting school in Wellington are mourning the sudden loss of their much-loved and respected First XV rugby coach.
St Patrick’s College —the country’s oldest Catholic boys school— reopened its doors just days into the school holidays after news of the death of popular rugby coach Willie Leota.
The 46-year-old has had a long affiliation with St Pat’s, having been a proud old boy of the college before going on to help the school’s sporting staff with his involvement in rugby.
Newstalk ZB's Matt Buck, who worked closely with Leota as part of the school’s rugby staff, joined Adam Cooper to pay tribute to Leota.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, students and staff at Saint Pat's College town here
in Wellington have been mourning the southern loss of their
much loved and respected first fifteen rugby coach this week.
Willie Leo, it's a prominent figure in Wellington rugby for
many years, died suddenly this past week aged forty six. Well,
it's chat a bit more about Willy's contribution to Saint Pats,
the rugby community and how he's being remembered news talks.
(00:22):
Heb's Matt Buck is with us. Bucky works at Saint
Pat's and worked with Willy very closely as part of
the school's rugby staff. Morning to your Bucky, and yeah,
it is school holidays at the moment, isn't it. But
I'm sure there's been a lot of activity and gathering
among the school community this week.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, thanks for the opportunity Adam to speak this morning
with Willie. The otis's funeral what maybe three or four
hours away at the college. It's it's been a shock.
It's been a tough week. It's been a tough week
on a lot of people, not just for the St
Pat's rugby community, but for the Wonnington and New Zealand
rugby communities, plus the had to probably you know, we
(01:01):
look at the Pacific Island community in Wellington, the schools
that as kids went to. He was a big, you know,
volunteer in those schools. So it's been enormous. The social
media outpouring, the gibbital page, you out pouring, the messages
we've received across the country and across the world have
been pretty much unbelievable. And I go back to my
(01:24):
first words. It came as a complete shock when I
got the call at seven twenty on Monday morning from
the chair of our rugby club, Nick Fitzmanu, who just
said one word or two words, believe the agent and
who's dead. And I wasn't shocked myself. And it was
a tough day, but you know these sort of things,
the schools seem to have a way to be pretty
(01:44):
resilient and we're seeing that this week.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, and we know that anyone that coaches young people,
their role extends far beyond a coach. Tell us the
impact and the connections he had with young people from
some Patstown.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, look will he started will he sort of it
was a player of notice, you know around the Wellington
scene and played in the wire Rapper and played for
in the Tasman area for Marlbourne and and was it
was a very very good rugging player zone right, And
then got into coaching and and I sort of picked
this up when he joined. He came back to Saint
Pat's and coached second fifteen to win a competition many
(02:24):
years ago which included guys like Xavier and Eu. Meir
was in that team and at that stay Zavian Meir
was a second five which Will he turned into a
prop and then and they had some dealing to the
Billy propter at the same time. And then and then
he went away. He called it a sabbatical to Scott's
College and joined us great mate and Sam Rash for
a lot of people who listened to show Will know,
(02:45):
and they coached Scott's for some success and then of course,
but his real driver was to come home. He said
to me, was to come home and coaches and Pats
and he came back ross Bond another one we know
well keeps I got the coaching. It's a Pats second
fifteen in two thousand. It's the first feen sorry in
in twenty two and he joined what Bille joins us
(03:06):
in his system. They had some success. In the first year,
they made the final of the winning competition. They beat
Silver Stream. The college hadn't done that for a long time.
And then in twenty twenty three they had a mixed season,
and then Willie took it upon himself to take on
the head coaching role this year, and it was just
(03:26):
such a privilege for him. It was emotional for him.
And I spoke earlier on the week to a couple
of people who I'll never forget Adam when he named
us after a camp that he organized so beautifully. He
organized that he announced his first team, and he broke down.
He said, you know, he spoke about his great mate
(03:47):
Jerry Collins wearing the stats jersey. He spoke about some
other great mates, and he spoke to the plant of saying,
you know, you're just borring this jersey, and it meant
so much to him, and I just couldn't put them
the finger on it. But then once I worked with
him for a while, it was it was evident that
the school meant everything to him and everything to his family.
So even at the parents' night to welcome the season,
(04:08):
and he spoke again of his why why he does it?
Photo flashed up with his family and again Will he
is an emotional He was an emotional guy and there
was tears in the room that night as well. So
it just he is connected to so many people in Wontington.
But the thing he does, really, really well he for
the young kids. And we'll get to that shortly at him.
(04:29):
But the thing he does for the young kids is
he has the ability to. I mean it's you know,
he had played good cop and play bad cop and
he's got the ability to he doesn't mind having an
honest conversation with a kid or a teenager or a
young adult and then but doesn't mind having a laugh
(04:50):
at them as well. So if I then step forward
to what the week has looked like, ad we spoke.
We had to speak to the under sixteen players who
are part of the Will Week with Wennington Rugby. They
were the first ones we got to. There was twenty
of those kids from some Pats involved, so we broke
the news to them. Then we had to go up
to the regularly park and break the news to the
some Pats boys were involved in the under eighteen program
(05:12):
and the outpouring of emotion the three players of the
Underratian program couldn't continue. They had to leave that day
locally park. But then we had to try and connect
with the kids who had gone away from school holidays
and they were some of the toughest conversations. We had
kids in Australia, we had kids in the Pacific Islands,
and not just them because we wanted to speak to
them to make sure that they had the news first,
(05:34):
but their parents as well. There was some very emotional scenes,
so that was very tough. But it also showed what
a great father figure will he was. And you don't
say that, I don't say that lightly. He was a
father to a lot of these kids, but he was
also just that man that had a huge amount of respect.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah, what's the legacy he's left on the current first
of Dane for this season?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Do you think it's quite interesting, man, because I'm sure
you know, being a former one in college, old boy,
we got one in college, gave us a good pickle
up in the traditional I mean we've sort of gone
on this six game winning as I said, where although
one in college has got a game in hand, we
sit top of the pile with silver Stream on thirty points.
(06:20):
We're qualified for the and we've qualified for the semi finals.
We've still got to play silver Stream in the traditional
on Wednesday, the first week back from school holidays, and
then we get into the semi finals and finals. The
legacy he's left with this team, it's tough to put
your finger on at the moment. And he means a
(06:42):
hell of a lot to these boys, and they want
to do what's best for Willy and what Willy would
have wanted. But as the assistant manager of this team
and speaking of the coach without being rude, so it's
going to be hard to get these kids up for
the next couple of weeks. I mean, people might say
we're easy, you know, got a lot to playful yus.
They have, but there's a lot of emotion floating around.
(07:04):
So we'll just take it easy on them and then
and we're not going to change too much, and we'll
and we'll go into a silver Stream game with Willi
in the forefront of our minds. But because he has
left a real legacy on these boys, and some of
the messages from the younger kids and the team also
has been very emotional to take as well. So a
(07:24):
true ambassador for the game of rugby, for the Pacific community,
for his family, and we can't forget them in a hurry,
because his four beautiful kids, and his wife Francis, and
his legacy will have on.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, and I imagine Bucky you mentioned at the very start.
But there'll be a big turnout for the funeral later
this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah. Look, we had what they call the family service
and the college got to say their thoughts at the
hall on Thursday night and then and today. I mean
I would expect it sounds strange, and but we're pretty blessed.
Is it's a the school holidays that there's not a
lot of kids sport going on around Kilberney Park area
(08:05):
in the College of course, get his bit of club
footing this afternoon, but there will be a huge amount
of Hey, well, the way would that It's hard to
say that I would have thought up to between nine
hundred to eleven hundred people will be here in the
hall to listen and mourn and grieve and celebrate the
life of Willi Viota, who was one of the world's
true great guys.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
For more from News Talks b listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IRT radio
Well, students and staff at Saint Pat's College town here
in Wellington have been mourning the southern loss of their
much loved and respected first fifteen rugby coach this week.
Willie Leo, it's a prominent figure in Wellington rugby for
many years, died suddenly this past week aged forty six. Well,
it's chat a bit more about Willy's contribution to Saint Pats,
the rugby community and how he's being remembered news talks.
(00:22):
Heb's Matt Buck is with us. Bucky works at Saint
Pat's and worked with Willy very closely as part of
the school's rugby staff. Morning to your Bucky, and yeah,
it is school holidays at the moment, isn't it. But
I'm sure there's been a lot of activity and gathering
among the school community this week.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, thanks for the opportunity Adam to speak this morning
with Willie. The otis's funeral what maybe three or four
hours away at the college. It's it's been a shock.
It's been a tough week. It's been a tough week
on a lot of people, not just for the St
Pat's rugby community, but for the Wonnington and New Zealand
rugby communities, plus the had to probably you know, we
(01:01):
look at the Pacific Island community in Wellington, the schools
that as kids went to. He was a big, you know,
volunteer in those schools. So it's been enormous. The social
media outpouring, the gibbital page, you out pouring, the messages
we've received across the country and across the world have
been pretty much unbelievable. And I go back to my
(01:24):
first words. It came as a complete shock when I
got the call at seven twenty on Monday morning from
the chair of our rugby club, Nick Fitzmanu, who just
said one word or two words, believe the agent and
who's dead. And I wasn't shocked myself. And it was
a tough day, but you know these sort of things,
the schools seem to have a way to be pretty
(01:44):
resilient and we're seeing that this week.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, and we know that anyone that coaches young people,
their role extends far beyond a coach. Tell us the
impact and the connections he had with young people from
some Patstown.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, look will he started will he sort of it
was a player of notice, you know around the Wellington
scene and played in the wire Rapper and played for
in the Tasman area for Marlbourne and and was it
was a very very good rugging player zone right, And
then got into coaching and and I sort of picked
this up when he joined. He came back to Saint
Pat's and coached second fifteen to win a competition many
(02:24):
years ago which included guys like Xavier and Eu. Meir
was in that team and at that stay Zavian Meir
was a second five which Will he turned into a
prop and then and they had some dealing to the
Billy propter at the same time. And then and then
he went away. He called it a sabbatical to Scott's
College and joined us great mate and Sam Rash for
a lot of people who listened to show Will know,
(02:45):
and they coached Scott's for some success and then of course,
but his real driver was to come home. He said
to me, was to come home and coaches and Pats
and he came back ross Bond another one we know
well keeps I got the coaching. It's a Pats second
fifteen in two thousand. It's the first feen sorry in
in twenty two and he joined what Bille joins us
(03:06):
in his system. They had some success. In the first year,
they made the final of the winning competition. They beat
Silver Stream. The college hadn't done that for a long time.
And then in twenty twenty three they had a mixed season,
and then Willie took it upon himself to take on
the head coaching role this year, and it was just
(03:26):
such a privilege for him. It was emotional for him.
And I spoke earlier on the week to a couple
of people who I'll never forget Adam when he named
us after a camp that he organized so beautifully. He
organized that he announced his first team, and he broke down.
He said, you know, he spoke about his great mate
(03:47):
Jerry Collins wearing the stats jersey. He spoke about some
other great mates, and he spoke to the plant of saying,
you know, you're just borring this jersey, and it meant
so much to him, and I just couldn't put them
the finger on it. But then once I worked with
him for a while, it was it was evident that
the school meant everything to him and everything to his family.
So even at the parents' night to welcome the season,
(04:08):
and he spoke again of his why why he does it?
Photo flashed up with his family and again Will he
is an emotional He was an emotional guy and there
was tears in the room that night as well. So
it just he is connected to so many people in Wontington.
But the thing he does, really, really well he for
the young kids. And we'll get to that shortly at him.
(04:29):
But the thing he does for the young kids is
he has the ability to. I mean it's you know,
he had played good cop and play bad cop and
he's got the ability to he doesn't mind having an
honest conversation with a kid or a teenager or a
young adult and then but doesn't mind having a laugh
(04:50):
at them as well. So if I then step forward
to what the week has looked like, ad we spoke.
We had to speak to the under sixteen players who
are part of the Will Week with Wennington Rugby. They
were the first ones we got to. There was twenty
of those kids from some Pats involved, so we broke
the news to them. Then we had to go up
to the regularly park and break the news to the
some Pats boys were involved in the under eighteen program
(05:12):
and the outpouring of emotion the three players of the
Underratian program couldn't continue. They had to leave that day
locally park. But then we had to try and connect
with the kids who had gone away from school holidays
and they were some of the toughest conversations. We had
kids in Australia, we had kids in the Pacific Islands,
and not just them because we wanted to speak to
them to make sure that they had the news first,
(05:34):
but their parents as well. There was some very emotional scenes,
so that was very tough. But it also showed what
a great father figure will he was. And you don't
say that, I don't say that lightly. He was a
father to a lot of these kids, but he was
also just that man that had a huge amount of respect.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Yeah, what's the legacy he's left on the current first
of Dane for this season?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Do you think it's quite interesting, man, because I'm sure
you know, being a former one in college, old boy,
we got one in college, gave us a good pickle
up in the traditional I mean we've sort of gone
on this six game winning as I said, where although
one in college has got a game in hand, we
sit top of the pile with silver Stream on thirty points.
(06:20):
We're qualified for the and we've qualified for the semi finals.
We've still got to play silver Stream in the traditional
on Wednesday, the first week back from school holidays, and
then we get into the semi finals and finals. The
legacy he's left with this team, it's tough to put
your finger on at the moment. And he means a
(06:42):
hell of a lot to these boys, and they want
to do what's best for Willy and what Willy would
have wanted. But as the assistant manager of this team
and speaking of the coach without being rude, so it's
going to be hard to get these kids up for
the next couple of weeks. I mean, people might say
we're easy, you know, got a lot to playful yus.
They have, but there's a lot of emotion floating around.
(07:04):
So we'll just take it easy on them and then
and we're not going to change too much, and we'll
and we'll go into a silver Stream game with Willi
in the forefront of our minds. But because he has
left a real legacy on these boys, and some of
the messages from the younger kids and the team also
has been very emotional to take as well. So a
(07:24):
true ambassador for the game of rugby, for the Pacific community,
for his family, and we can't forget them in a hurry,
because his four beautiful kids, and his wife Francis, and
his legacy will have on.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Yeah, and I imagine Bucky you mentioned at the very start.
But there'll be a big turnout for the funeral later
this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah. Look, we had what they call the family service
and the college got to say their thoughts at the
hall on Thursday night and then and today. I mean
I would expect it sounds strange, and but we're pretty blessed.
Is it's a the school holidays that there's not a
lot of kids sport going on around Kilberney Park area
(08:05):
in the College of course, get his bit of club
footing this afternoon, but there will be a huge amount
of Hey, well, the way would that It's hard to
say that I would have thought up to between nine
hundred to eleven hundred people will be here in the
hall to listen and mourn and grieve and celebrate the
life of Willi Viota, who was one of the world's
true great guys.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
For more from News Talks b listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on IRT radio
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