The Enduring Impact of Willie Los'e: A Year of Reflection
By Loveni Enari
A year out of a person’s life may not be such a long time but when it’s a year since the sudden death of a loved one, it takes on a special significance.
When that person was a six foot four and 120kg larger than life type, who exuded colour and vibrancy, the dark emptiness is sharpened.
Willie Los’e, the first Māori-Tongan, Pasifika, sports show host on New Zealand radio, was that guy. He died in still unexplained circumstances while working in South Africa and, for those close to him, explanations at this stage are simply no longer necessary. He’s gone and no research by coroners is going to bring him back.
Broadcasters in years to come have a debt to Willie for many reasons, one he provided the standard in snappy dress sense some would say, but on a more serious note, for being ‘mua i malae’, as they say in Samoan, the first to the marae, the pioneer, and one who led the way in breaking down barriers both seen and unseen on New Zealand television and radio.
Being seen was truly part of Willie’s persona, both literally in his presence on our TV screens, and figuratively in that he wasn’t afraid to draw attention to himself with a lime-green jacket and matching flower in his lapel. One of the real keys to Willie’s success however was his Westiness. Yes, he had the flash dress-sense and public success, but he was never one to put on airs. He was a down to earth Westy boy at heart, one who’d done good and he looked like any of our brothers, sons, uncles or fathers. Well one of them who would wear a pink, polka dot tie with matching socks that is.
His old school, Kelston Boys High, where he was a local hero for the first fifteen coached by Graham Henry have decided to pay homage to their alumni. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame on Saturday. Would he have enjoyed this? Is it important? What advice would Willie have for young broadcasters and journalists starting out? What legacy does he leave behind?
His sister Mary Lose, CEO of Pacific Business Trust:
“I've pretty much cried an ocean of tears for my brother. I don't think there are any left.
“It was such a shock. Those of us who knew Willie and were close to him, knew he was in very good shape. So I think that this is a reminder to us all that once it's good to be healthy and to have your, you know, well-being, both physical, mental, spiritual, emotional care that can take care of yourself, but also when your number is up, your number is up.
“And I think that that was a shocking one because it was Willie and we all knew how well he took care of himself and because he had gone away for work and like he has done on so many occasions, however, he wasn't going to come home alive.
“And that was the shocking part of it. And I think for a long time, there were times in the weeks and months after he passed away that I went to call him because I had literally forgotten he’d gone.
“His vanity prevented him from letting himself go. He always wanted to remain fit and healthy. There’s no new light on the cause of death.
“In New Zealand we're about 12 to 18 months behind in coroner reports. So I imagine South Africa would be the same if not even more behind. And I think as a family, we have come to terms with the loss of Willie and we just accept it.
I always think that the way in which Willie would have liked to be remembered is young, fit, in his prime, as opposed to being old and you know, withering away.
“He really liked to look good and he liked to dress well. When we were teenagers, he would save all his money to buy a new suit. And when he went to play rugby in Italy, I'm pretty sure he spent most of his money on tailor made suits.
“We're incredibly proud as a family to recognize his achievements. I think if Willie was alive, he might not want this award because he'd say, what for, I'm just doing what I'm doing. I don't know he would have turned his nose up at it, but I think he'd just like to get on and serve the rugby community and our broader Pacific and Maori community. He wasn't about the recognition so I think that he might be a little bit, not embarrassed, but shy of it. But I also think it's a wonderful example of his high school recognizing his achievements and contribution.
“Growing up in Kelston we didn't have a lot, we've all worked very hard. Willie is the youngest of seven sons in a family of nine siblings. And coming at the end of the family, he had more opportunity to succeed because our older brothers were financing our family, going to work for mum and dad and the rest of us. And so I'm sure that there was always an element of obligation to deliver on behalf of all of the family.
“He could tell a story and he'd learned from the best. Murray Deaker was his broadcasting father. Murray used to say Mary, he won't make a good broadcaster. He's too nice. He needs to get a bit more mongrel.
“And he was very diligent in his approach. He used to spend a lot of time prepping for his shows, and he would definitely acknowledge Martin Devlin there for that example of preparation and diligence.
“Yes. Yes I'm really proud of that you know, now we're coming up to a year after he's passed away. And oftentimes when I'm in, you know, different parts of the country, people will come up and say, oh, hi, I knew Willie And and, you know, they're very impacted by his loss. And it just goes you know, it's a real testament to the fact that he would stop and give anyone that, you know, have time.
I think that was one of the things that came through for me anyways, no matter where I was in the country, someone would come up and talk to me about Willie and share their story. And that's really beautiful to hear.
“As for any advice he would possibly give a newcomer to broadcasting, I think that he would probably give some kind of training analogy. You know, it's the top 2%. It's the hours you put in outside of training. It's strategic thinking. It's about who do I need to get alongside? You know, if you're wanting to be the best halfback, you probably will follow the halfback and look at everything they do, try to emulate it, try to get ahead of that, that skill set that the halfback has.
“So I think he would say it's no different to the amount of effort and commitment you would put in training that you would as a broadcaster. If you want to be the best broadcaster, get alongside the best broadcasters of the day, learn from them, record their shows, listen back, what makes them the best broadcaster, and then add your own Pacifica Maori inherent flavour.
I think he would say don't ever stop being yourself, but definitely get alongside the best in the business.
“I'm not really sure I have any one last thing. Willie is the one next up from me, so I don't think that there was anything that I didn't say to him that I would have liked to say to him. I wouldn't be who I am without him. So I think if there was one thing that I would say to him it would be, you're picking up the tab next. Yeah, it’s your shout.
His co-commentator on many a rugby broadcast, Fauono Ken Laban:
“Yeah, well, it's still very hard for us to comprehend the passing of Willie a year on now. I think we were commentating together just a week earlier. I think he did his last game with me and Taranaki before he jumped on the plane the next day to head up to Africa. He was 54 years old. He was a gym instructor and he was always working out and walking. So, yeah, a tragedy at 55 years old, that he would be taken from us, especially, you know, the magnitude of the personality that he was. Um. You know, you're not talking about a wallflower. You know, you're talking about a, you know, a big physical six foot five, 120 kilo man full of personality and charisma. Yeah. We won't get over him for a while. .
“You can't work in an industry like broadcasting and not have empathy for other people. So you need to have, you know, you need to have a personality that's engaging as well. From a commentary broadcasting point of view, you know, you need presence and empathy as well. And he had all of that in spades.
“But you would never have thought that if you were in his company and a stranger would come up to Willie, you'd think he'd known the bloke or woman all his life.
“He had a strong background in rugby union, phenomenal success in rugby union, captained Tonga at the World Cup in '95.
“There have been conversations around the world in rugby over the rise and rise of women's rugby, the Women's World Cups and and especially in the sevens area. And if you go over and reflect on the highlights and the rise of the women's game, you will find his voice, his emotion, his personality all over that rise to power.
“That enthusiasm that he brought to his commentaries was absolutely central to the rise of the women's game. The phenomenal crowds that attended the Rugby World Cup in 2022 in my view was, was a tip to broadcast and especially Willie, who'd been on that world rugby women's space for over a decade.
“He was the first Tongan commentator on the world stage. The first Pasifika commentator with a global profile so his first legacy obviously, is he's the pioneer for all of us to follow. He's the one that will give people encouragement that you can be Pacifica, you can be indigenous and you can come from us,, from a family in west Auckland. And if you back yourself and hit the right level of preparation and research, you're able to do what he was able to achieve.
“Behind the big voice and the highly entertaining and engaging personality he was somebody who religiously prepared and researched the games that he called.
“And as a result, that's why he was able to sustain for himself a legacy that lasted so long and one that would still have you know, he would be calling the Rugby World Cup in France if he were alive and he would have been one of the most popular callers as well. So, you know, we're talking about somebody taken away before their time.
“We have a saying in commentary. If you don't know it, you can't say it. So if you want to sound intelligent, you have to learn to say intelligent things. And that's the reality of the industry. From the moment you open your mouth, you're judged by people all over all over the world.
“Willie's challenge as a quality broadcaster was to enhance, you know, enhance those images and do it in a way that's entertaining and engaging. He was an outstanding broadcaster in large part because he was a very, very entertaining man.
Edna St. Vincent Millay, ‘Time Does Not Bring Relief’
There are a hundred places where I fear
To go - so with his memory they brim.
And entering with relief some quiet place
Where never fell his foot or shone his face
I say, ‘There is no memory of him here!’
And so stand stricken, so remembering him.
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Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ on Air.