Built Tawha: Cultural connection driving forward's unlikely rise

After watching this year’s All Stars unfold from afar, Brisbane’s newest Bronco Aublix Tawha was filled with pride to see players soaking in the sights of his childhood stomping ground of Hamilton.

Tawha, who shares Māori and Dutch bloodlines, grew up and developed his love of rugby league in the region, a place where the players were welcomed by Māori Queen Nga wai hono i te po to his local Tūrangawaewae marae.

“It was played where I’m from so I’m watching it and seeing all the stuff I’m seeing, they had all the players where I used to go swimming,” Tawha said.

“I hope one day to be able to play in (an All Stars match), that would be awesome.

“Māori tradition means everything to me.

"In Māori, you have your waka – your waka is how you got to where you’re from in New Zealand, and my waka is Tainui. Your tribe is the main core, and my tribe is Waikato, and you have a sub-tribe, which is called your hapū and mine is Ngāti Māhanga.

“I’m super proud to be from Ngāti Māhanga and my family there, that’s where I grew up."

Following an impressive debut season where he played nine games for the Dolphins before heading to Red Hill, Tawha and fellow Hamilton-raised Broncos forward Xavier Willison were in line for selection in Adam Blair’s Māori team for the cultural showpiece.

However, with the World Club Challenge against Hull KR to prepare for, Tawha embraced his return to Europe.

Growing up, Tawha was less familiar was his Dutch heritage, but as fate would have it, COVID interrupted his bid to forge a rugby league career through country footy in NSW, opening the door to a year in the Netherlands.

While there, he embraced learning about his mum's background, all while playing rugby union for Rugby Club 't Gooi.

“My mum’s Dutch, kind of Viking heritage and I played over in Amsterdam and got to experience my mum’s culture, that was awesome,” Tawha said.

“I went there for a year, played for a team called Gooi (pronounced ‘hoi’, roll the 'h') and it was crazy, man, a different world over there, definitely a culture shock."

While it didn't help the acclimatisation for his maiden Broncos appearance in Hull, the experience gave the former scaffolder an extra sense of purpose and presence, which has since catapulted him from Yass Magpies to NRL contracts.

“I was just playing park footy two years ago and now I’m here on the big stage, so it’s a blessing," Tawha said.

“I wake up every day and it’s hard to believe sometimes, but I don’t take it for granted at all.

"Now I get to jump in my car and come to the Broncos, which is surreal to me – a club you watch as a little kid and you see all great players who come through this club and now I play for them."

At the Broncos, Tawha is not alone in having family ties to the Netherlands, with rising talent Antonio Verhoeven proud of his joint Tongan and Dutch heritage.

The off and on-field experiences, including the tough love from former Redcliffe Dolphins coach (and current Brisbane assistant coach) Ben Te'o and Dolphins NRL coach Kristian Woolf, have helped him embrace a new environment at Red Hill.

Seeing how some of the representative forwards at the club operate has inspired him to leave no stone unturned to provide his imposing in-your-face impact the club needs.

“Payne [Haas] and Patty [Carrigan]; they're a big influence on me and especially in the middle,” Tawha said.

“But just everyone, man, I'm edge backrow and middle and (open to) playing wherever Madge chucks me in.

“So, just to watch them at training and ask them for advice …