“I suppose being exposed to Samoa has obviously connected me back to my Lam side of the family” – Joel Lam
When we talk about Samoan rugby, its players and its progress over the years it’s hard to not go past the ‘Lam’ surname and aiga.
From the likes of Lemalu Pat Lam, a key figure of the Manu Samoa golden run of the 1990’s, and a now top coach in the United Kingdom, to brothers Jack and Seilala Lam who’ve made their mark at the highest level for their country, to the likes of former Blues/Hurricanes player Ben and younger brother AJ Lam – a current Blues Midfielder – the aiga have certainly made their mark.
And like any Samoan aiga, the sporting dynasty continues and it has now found its latest addition through halfback Joel Lam.
Having originally started his career in Christchurch, Joel now plays for Moana Pasifika and has made his presence known straight away in the team’s recent games.
“There is a good chunk of us, 350 plus of us (Lam’s) actually. My grandad is a brother of 21 siblings, so there’s a lot of us in our aiga which is pretty cool and special to me,” Joel says.
Debuting last year for Manu Samoa, Joel became the latest with the Lam surname to play for his country. It was an opportunity that he believes helped connect him with his Samoan culture and family.
“Getting back into Manu Samoa, Jack who’s my cousin and an old skipper of Manu Samoa, he’s been a great mentor to me. I suppose being exposed to Samoa has obviously connected me back to my Lam side of the family,” he says.
His journey to Super Rugby and international test rugby wasn’t always smooth sailing.
Failing to get signed while playing club rugby in Christchurch, Joel began to look elsewhere for opportunities. Even looking at switching over to rugby league in Australia.
“Last year was full of challenges and growth. I wasn’t contracted. We played against a league team in pre-season, in a club match, got a taste at playing hooker in league and said, why not?
“So I signed up with Hornby Panthers in Christchurch, moved across the ditch to Brisbane and played for the South Logan Magpies. I was training with a Q Cup team then I got a call from Manu Samoa, so I shifted my stuff out of my room after living there for two months and was back on tour.”
His performance on the Manu Samoa tour last year was enough for him to catch the eye of Moana Pasifika coach Faalogo Tana Umaga.
At first, he was brought in to the Super Rugby side on an interim contract, which mainly focused on the side’s pre-season training block. Determined to make the most of this opportunity, his hard work was enough to secure him a spot with the side for the season.
Moan Pasifika’s match against the Chiefs was Joel’s debut for the club, and since then he has featured in their following matches, even starting in last weekend’s game against the Crusaders and scoring a try.
Results so far haven’t gone the way of Moana Pasifika, who have now gone through their fifth loss since their win in round one against Fijian Drua.
Despite the losses, Joel is still determined to showcase what he can do for the club throughout the season, especially with his running game.
“I thrive off energy. Some teams like that, some teams don’t, depends on the system you’re in. With our Moana Pasifika flair, it kind of suits me more,” Joel says.
“It gives me the ability to run, and do things with that energy that they bring”
