Alphonso’s story: Getting back on the touch field
Alphonso Goulding is an elevator service technician by day and a touch rugby champion by evening. After recovering from pulling both his calf muscles, he can’t wait to get amongst the action this season.
Every winter Alphonso ‘Fonz’ Goulding counts down to the start of the touch rugby season.
The 37-year-old Fijian-born Kiwi, who plays four times a week during the summer, says it’s the best time of the year.
“Every winter I can’t wait for touch to start,” he says.
“We play Turbo Touch throughout the winter but it’s not the same as summer touch and being able to play every day.
“I have made a lot of friends through touch rugby and it’s nice to see them again.”
Fonz is looking forward to this season after he pulled both of his calf muscles playing Turbo Touch.
“It was pretty painful,” he says. “There was a loud bang when I did it. All of a sudden, I realised that I couldn’t put any weight on my legs.
“It took me around six weeks to recover from that injury. I did some rehab and now I am back at it again.”
Fonz was off work for a couple of days and then he was back into it.
“I was lucky that it didn’t have a big impact on my family or work. I just got on with it.”
ACC have played a key role in helping Fonz recover from many injuries over the years.
A career of ups and downs
Away from the touch rugby field, Fonz works for Kone Elevators & Escalators. He is as an elevator service technician.
“I love my job,” he says. “There is always heaps of stuff to learn every year. With the new technology that is coming out and changing so there is always something to learn. I love meeting new people as well.
“Most people don’t do this job and I find the work very interesting.”
Fonz says it is great to work at different places all over the city as well like Te Papa National Museum and Parliament. He takes huge pride in doing a great job for his customers.
Alphonso takes his job seriously and in 2021 he was recognised for excelling in his role.
He was named National Technician of the Year for Kone. He was selected from thousands of employees for going above and beyond in his work.
“I always want to do my job at the best of my ability. It was a huge honour for me to be recognised with this award.”
His work sets the platform for him to be able to complete his passion and escape.
“Touch rugby takes my mind away from work. I have my working time and my social time, and I love getting away from it all and playing a game of touch.”
A lifelong love of the game
Fonz grew up in Savusavu. The small town is located on Fiji's northern island of Vanua Levu. It has a population of a little more than 3,000 people.
He attended Savusavu Secondary School before he moved to Wellington in 2013.
“Touch rugby is the sport that I grew up playing in Fiji,” he says. “I wanted to keep playing it here.”
He was quick to find teams he could play for in the capital.
Fonz loves the fitness touch rugby gives him, meeting new people and the competition each week.
“In terms of playing the game, touch rugby is a thinking man’s game,” he says.
“There is a lot of strategy involved with learning your moves and then pulling them off in the game. I enjoy it and I get to go to a few places too.”
Fonz represented the Fijian Men’s Over 30 side in 2017 and in November he is heading back to Fiji for another age-grade tournament.
“I have been lucky enough to play for Fiji a couple of times. That was a great honour.”
Helping Fonz do what he loves
Fonz jokes that he’d love to see his claim file with ACC with the number of injuries he has had.
“I have had a few injuries – collar bone, calf muscles, hamstrings – and they have been there for all of them and helped me get back on the field,” he says.
Fonz says ACC have been “awesome” to deal with.
“They have taken care of all of my expenses and the support has been great. It’s really good to know you can play a sport that I love like touch rugby and there is support there when you go through your hard times.”
Fonz is not alone.
In the past five years we have accepted 49,248 touch rugby-related injury claims.
We also invest into Touch NZ to support the TouchFit360 injury prevention programme and help keep players on the field.
It’s what we’re doing right now.
“Having that support is huge so I can keep doing what I love,” says Fonz.
Learn more about our campaign, 'It's what we're doing right now':
‘It’s what we’re doing right now’ (acc.co.nz)
Learn more about the TouchFit360 warm up:
Touch New Zealand - TouchFit 360 (touchnz.co.nz)
