Will Genia has always been too humble to understand the fan buzz around him which blossomed again this week when Saturday’s guest appearance for the Dalby Wheatmen went public.
He wasn’t really planning on playing at all but the affable Wallabies great said “OK” and found a pair of boots in the boot of his car.
There is something that the Wallabies and Queensland Reds great finds magnetic about grassroots rugby at the amateur level.
“It takes me back to being a kid. Just put your boots on and play,” Genia said.
At 38, there is still a ping to his classic pass albeit an old knee injury now inhibits the speed that embedded him in our hearts with that mesmerising solo try in the 2011 Super Rugby final.
Genia has been retired for some time now at the professional level in Japan. He’s doing some spot coaching with Tokyo University but that’s all.
He should be a regular rugby commentator on Stan Sport. Hopefully, that’s in his future too.
Anyway, when he heard that one of his old coaches, John Mulvihill, was out Dalby way helping the locals with their rugby, they decided to catch up.
“Do you want a run?” was Mulvihill’s simple yet cheekily loaded question.
Genia hesitated a little but said “yes” expecting an anonymous role on the bench and a 20-minute trot late in the game.
It’s morphed into Genia starting at flyhalf for Dalby against Toowoomba Bears at John Ritter Oval at 3pm tomorrow.
“John asked me if I wanted to play. I wanted to put the boots on without any fuss. Haha…now I’ve been roped in,” Genia said with a laugh.
“But how good is country footy. I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s one thing to shape a few ideas by talking and a bit of coaching. When you can give back on the ground, it is even better.
“I’ve retired but I’ll always love my rugby.”
You forget how many doors open as a rugby international. Back in 2017, Genia met Argentinian football royalty when Lionel Messi was playing in Melbourne at the same time as the Wallabies.
Genia is on something of a road tour. He had a game of rugby league in Papua New Guinea recently with the Valley Hunters, the team coached by brother Frank and sponsored by his family.
He bobbed up for the Redland Bay Cyclones last weekend. At fullback.
Genia's outing on Saturday is a wonderful cameo in country rugby and reminds us of the time that league legend Wally Lewis had a similar yearning to play rugby.
The year was 1979. He’d loved his time on the undefeated 1977-78 Australian Schoolboys rugby union tour of Europe when the Ella brothers and Michael O’Connor were amongst his teammates.
He was now tied to league with Valleys but was idling down the Gold Coast while suspended.
He got an intriguing offer from some mates to play for Brothers-Marymount in the Gold Coast rugby competition.
There was no thought of getting a clearance. Lewis played under the alias “Harry Butler”, the name of TV’s then-wildlife show guru.
“The King” might have got away with it but for one fan snapping a photo because he recognised him.
It was back page news the next day with smiles all round.
At least, Will Genia is playing under his own name. It's an appearance to celebrate.
