Things didn’t quite go to plan at Forshaw this season, but skipper Issac Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens was a standout for Southern Districts in a losing side most weeks.

The 27-year-old received the Ken Catchpole medal from June Catchpole a few weeks back and spoke to Rugby News shortly after.

Rugby News: It was a tough year for Southern Districts, but individually you’ve been recognised. How are you feeling?

Issac Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens: No it wasn’t the season we were after from a team perspective, but I’m still proud of how we kept showing up and I’m proud to win this award on behalf of the club. You don’t go into a pre-season expecting results to go the way they did, and you definitely don’t do it for individual awards but I feel like this season has brought us closer as a group, going through that adversity together. That was probably the shining light throughout the year.

I’m stoked to have put together a good season. My body felt good for the majority of the year, which was nice — and I got a bit more game time than I’ve had the last couple of years.

RN: You’ve been in the mix for this award most years. What was it like watching the tally and then finding out you’d won it?

IR-N:The last few years I’ve been there or thereabouts, in the top five to 10, that sort of range. After the first nine rounds I was third, and then it came back to me at the back end. When I saw my name up there I was taken aback — genuinely shocked. It was a pretty cool feeling and it was great to represent my family and my club by winning the award.

RN: You’ve had an interesting run the last couple of years — your time with the Force didn’t quite work out, then an MLR opportunity fell through. It must have been frustrating? 

IR-N: It’s been a bit like that the last couple of years — a lot of sniffs, but nothing that really turned into a long-term opportunity. I did a pre-season with the Force back in 24/25 and spent four or five months there. It came down to me or one other guy for a full time contract and they picked him.  

After that I was ready to go over to the US and do a season in the MLR, but with the changes in the league — four or five teams folded over the off-season — there was a lot of uncertainty. I’ve got a young family and we ended up deciding to stay and do another year here and to be honest, I’m glad we did.

RN: You didn’t have a connection to Southern Districts when you came across from New Zealand and have been recruited hard by rival clubs over the years. Why stick with a club that’s going through such a difficult period?

IR-N: I just love the community behind the club. It’s more than just the results on a Saturday — there’s a lot of hard work that goes on, a lot of good people who are there or have been there and everyone’s got that same attitude where we want to leave the club in a better place than we found it. It might not seem like it from the outside, but there’s something building. 

I could never leave and play with a rival club, even if they are further up the ladder. I want to contribute and make an impact here and repay the faith the club put in me originally. 

RN: Tell us about the impact departing coach Scott Fava has had on the group.

IR-N: I couldn’t say a bad word about Scotty and I don’t think any of the players could. We were all pretty shocked and disappointed to hear the club moved him on. 

The stuff he brought in, particularly culture-wise — there could have been plenty of times through the year when results weren’t going our way and he could have dropped his head, but every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday the review was done, the learnings were laid out, everything was set. 

That filters down through the group. When the guys at the top stay optimistic and positive, you want to keep turning up for them. It’s a shame the results didn’t go our way, because that could have looked different with him around — but everyone in that group has so much respect for Scotty.

RN: What’s next for you — is the fire still there to pursue professional rugby opportunities?

IR-N: I haven’t made those decisions yet. I’d love the opportunity to show what I can do in a full-time environment, so I’m definitely open to it. Hopefully something pops up, but if nothing does, I’ll just try to give my best for the club again next year.

Note: Since this interview, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens has been named in a 33-man Fiji squad to contest the Pacific Nations Cup from September 12. 

RECENT WINNERS

2025 Wes Thomas (Warringah)

2024 Sam Allsopp (Sydney Uni) 

2023 Zac Barnabas (Manly) 

2022 Conor Hickey (Warringah) 

2020 Max Douglas (Manly) 

2019 Michael Icely (Eastwood) 

2018 Will McDonald (Sydney Uni) 

2017 Kevin Fuavao (Manly) 

2016 Irae Simone (Northern Suburbs) 

2015 Kelly Meafou (West Harbour) 

2014 Henry Clunies-Ross (Syd Uni) 

2013 Hugh Roach (Eastwood) 

2012 Jed Holloway (Sth Districts) 

2011 Bernard Foley (Sydney Uni) 

2010 Greg Peterson (Manly) 

2009 Lachlan McCaffrey (Eastwood) 

2008 Nathan Charles (Sydney Uni)