Legendary former Kiwis standoff Olsen Filipaina (Ngāpuhi, Hāmoa) has died in a Sydney hospital where he had been battling a kidney illness.
He was admitted to hospital with a stomach infection on January 13, and died earlier today surrounded by his whānau, aged 64.
Born in Kaikohe, "The Big O" was raised in South Auckland where he played for the Mangere East Hawks. He made his Auckland debut in 1976 and earned a Kiwi call up ahead of the World Cup the following year as a 20-year-old.
He crossed the Tasman in 1980, joining the Balmain Tigers where he played for five years, before joining the Roosters, followed by a two-year stint with the North Sydney Bears.
Fourteen years after first-hand witnessing the Kiwis’ demolition of Australia (as a 14-year-old at Carlaw Park), Filipaina led a drought-breaking – and equally emphatic and iconic defeat of the green-and-golds at the same venue in the third test of the 1985 rubber. He produced two audacious chip-and-chase efforts in the same set in the lead-up to Clayton Friend’s opening try and comprehensively outplayed opposite number and Australian captain Wally Lewis, widely regarded as the world’s best player, for the third straight game in an 18-0 thumping.
Filipaina scored 108 points in 29 Tests for the Kiwis from 1977-86 and was inducted as a NZRL Legend of League in 2007. He also amassed 109 first-grade games (scoring 21 tries and 128 goals) in Sydney,
His brother, Auckland councillor Alf Filipaina paid tribute to Olsen tonight, saying "he was a fighter and fought for 16 days in ICU but our heavenly father needed a stand-off for his rugby league team, and now he has the best.
"His family spoke to him every day to keep his spirits up and he is now reunited with Mum, Dad, younger brother Rae, and all our tupuna who are now looking after him with all their love.
"We would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at Westmead Hospital for their tireless efforts to keep Olsen alive."
Further details surrounding a cele bration of Olsen Filipaina's life will be released in coming days.
Kei te rangatira o te ao whutupōro rīki, e oki, e moe.