Published: October 29, 2025
Kahn Fotuali’i and Justin Va’a work in our secure residences. Prior to their current careers, they were professional rugby players.
On 16 July 2025, the Classic All Blacks took on the Pasifika Legends at Eden Park in a curtain-raiser for a test match between Manu Samoa and Scotland.
Both teams fielded legends of the game from across Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific. Among those wearing Pasifika colours, were several kaimahi from Oranga Tamariki.
In fact, every one of our youth residences can boast an impressive line-up of athletic talent, and sport plays a vital role in the work they do with young people.
Justin Va’a is a Manager Residence Operations at a Care and Protection Residence in Lower Hutt.
Justin describes himself as a bit of a “late bloomer” to rugby. Growing up, he mostly played league, but a call-up to the Samoan Rugby Union Team gave him his big break.
Justin played 19 test matches for the Pacific nation, including the 2007 World Cup. He also played five tests with the Pacific Islands Combined Team and competed professionally overseas for the London Wasps and the Glasgow Warriors.
Through sport, Justin often engaged with young people, whether it was coaching his younger brother or running rugby clinics in the UK.
So, when he retired from professional rugby in 2010 and his friend told him there was a casual role going at the residence, Justin went for it.
There are so many skills that transfer from rugby to here.
Justin Va’a, Manager Residence Operations
The biggest one for Justin is being able to work calmly in a stressful environment.
“The whole mental fortitude around performing under pressure is massive, I definitely think it helps.”
Justin says rugby also helps him connect with the young people, who can easily tell he has a background in sport.
“Kids look at the funny cauliflower ears and are immediately like, what’s that? Either you’re a rugby player or a cage fighter,” he laughs.
Kahn Fotuali’i is an Employment Coordinator at a Youth Justice Residence in Palmerston North.
Kahn has had a long career in rugby, most of it spent overseas.
He debuted for the Crusaders in 2008 and after five years in Super Rugby, headed to Europe to play for various professional clubs across the UK and France.
When Covid-19 cut his career short, Kahn returned to New Zealand with little idea of what life would look like post-rugby.
“That was always something that I struggled with. I really didn’t know what I wanted to do or what I was going to do," he says.
Kahn was considering coaching rugby, but a couple of friends working at the Youth Justice Residence suggested he interview for a job there.
The position as a youth worker was kind of along the same lines as coaching, you know, giving back and helping out and then using my background with sports was sort of a way to do that.
Kahn Fotuali’i, Employment Coordinator
There is an element of coaching in the residence, too.
“The kids really thrive on sport. They go from not understanding any of the rules to actually playing a fairly decent game against each other,” says Kahn.
Some of the youth residences run a programme called the Hidden Face of Sport where they teach the young people a new sport over the course of 6-8 weeks.
Once they’ve mastered the game and the values of being a team player, they compete against other units within the residence.
Then, a representative team called ‘the Tigers’ is selected to either challenge a team from the community, or the staff.
“I think the last two games the young people have beaten us,” says Kahn.
With sport playing such an integral role in residential youth work, Kahn would recommend it to anyone from a similar background.
Especially those struggling to find that second career, as he did.
“After life in a professional environment, if you haven't really set yourself up and you don’t know what you are going to do, this is definitely a good stepping stone.”
A step towards a meaningful second career for retiring athletes.
Kahn isn't retiring his rugby boots just yet. He's been selected to play for Aotearoa New Zealand for the first time and will join the Heartland XV squad for a two-match tour of Samoa in November.
You can read more about it in the Stuff news story:
Former Crusaders and Tasman halfback Kahn Fotuali’i earns Heartland XV selection | Stuff
We're celebrating more Oranga Tamariki sporting legends in the month of October. Keep an eye on our news section for the latest stories.
From rugby to residences: our next generation of youth workers
Find opportunities to become a youth worker at Oranga Tamariki on our Careers site