Joe Galuvao knows a thing or two about winning, and he argues that the Penrith Panthers have built their dynasty on their strong relationship with local Pasifika communities.
The two-time premiership-winning forward says the contingent of Pasifika players who have helped the Panthers reach their fourth grand final in a row – including star five-eighth Jarome Luai, winger Brian To’o, centre Stephen Crichton and prop Spencer Leniu – have played their best football because of that connection.
“We’ve built our own culture here that respects people’s backgrounds and individual beliefs, and for Pasifika athletes, that helps them thrive. We believe we’re a collective society, and our bonds and relationships are important to us,” says Galuvao, who now works as the wellbeing and education coordinator at the Panthers.
“Unlocking their potential has come from understanding them as people, understanding their culture and their community.”
Galuvao has helped establish a raft of programs that engage local youths with Pacific Island links who, he says, have taken the Panthers into their hearts. He says the pan-Pacific notion of “Va”, which describes the spatial and relational context within which relationships are built, is sacred to Pasifika communities.
“Any club that wants to get the best out of its Pasifika athletes needs to create these communal bonds so they can flourish, and you can see it in the way they go above and beyond for their team.”
The Panthers have become the epitome of a local success story. Key players have come through their youth setup based in the Penrith region.
They are involved in a number of grassroots programs for young people, like Haka Warriors, which aims to connect young people with their culture, and the Panthers on the Prowl, which delivers educational and healthy development opportunities to students in Penrith.
The team is on the cusp of a historic third consecutive premiership while embracing local communities and cultures.
That has endeared the club to the local Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Māori and other Pasifika communities concentrated in western Sydney.
According to the 2021 census, more than 78% of the Pasifika population in Sydney is based in western Sydney, mainly in Blacktown, Campbeltown and Penrith.
Maherau Arona, from the Pacific Islands Mt Druitt Action network, says she has watched players grow from local church-attending boys to superstars.
“They’re the boys that grew up playing footy in the local park, they go to their community churches for dinner, they are homeboys from the area.
“That’s why the community loves them, they’re like my sons. And they play for all the young people in our community, who look up to them so much. The boys represent us.”
Arona says there is an “uplifting energy” among the Pasifika communities in the Penrith area where rugby league is more than a game.
“It’s how we Pasifika people see this, we see beyond the game, it’s a platform where they can express their identity and that’s what means so much to us. That they are proud of who they are.”
Osselan “Oz” Fofoga Tupai, a local businessman who also produces commemorative Panthers T-shirts, says the team means the world to him and his community.
“The boys are all connected to the community and their wins are like wins for us – we celebrate them together. The connection runs deep,” he says.
“The boys make a lot of time for our community, they always come out to events, have a game of touch on Sunday, they embrace us and we embrace them. We praise them as superstars but respect them as part of our community.”
Fofoga Tupai suggests “more than 50%” of the success of the team can be attributed to community support.
“We know how proud these boys are of coming from our area, from our community, and we are proud of them. The area is so proud of them.”
He says a confident sense of excitement hangs in the air around Penrith, with many now accustomed to believing the best team in the country comes from their area.
Loau Donina Vaa, a co-collaborator of the community leadership group Core Pacific Collective, says the team’s success has changed how so many Pasifika youth see themselves and their potential.
“It not only showcases the immense talent and potential that exists within our youth but also serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes.”
She says the club and the community are intertwined and their success is “deeply rooted in the community’s support system, empowered through faith and cultural values”.
“From local clubs nurturing raw talent to families instilling values of hard work and dedication, the community plays an integral role. The tight-knit nature of Pasifika communities means that achievements are celebrated collectively, and challenges are faced together.”
