At the start of the second half Te Whata surprisingly took the field in the wing three-quarter position. The match was already over from a competitive stand point as Queensland led by 28 points to 6 at halftime and they went on to win 54–14. He was beaten by Cecil Aynsley who scored a try shortly before halftime but later got revenge of a sort when “he beat Aynsley for possession, and nearing the twenty-five passed to Singe, who ran over to score”. In 1926 Te Whata again turned out for the Athletic team who had now assumed the name of Grafton Athletic. He scored a try in a 13–6 win over Devonport United on the Devonport Domain. It seems that this was to be the last time that Bill Te Whata put on either a rugby league or a rugby union jersey. He returned to Tokomaru Bay and 7 years later in 1934 the East Coast Rugby Union was asked by the Tokomaru Bay sub-union to recommend the reinstatement of W. Te Whata with the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. The East Coast Union’s management committee gave strong support to the proposal. It was said in the Poverty Bay Herald that as the league game was not played on the East Coast he had no opportunity to play and had been “out of football for several years”. The application was refused and the East Coast Rugby Union decided “after considerable discussion” to apply once again. It is unclear if he ever was reinstated but there is no link with him and the rugby game after this time though he remained active in athletics, cycling and bowls throughout the 1930s and 40s in the Poverty Bay area. Bill (Wiremu) Te Whata married Irene Mary Potaka on June 25, 1924. They had 3 children, Douglas William Te Whata who was born on April 7, 1928, Clarence Clair Te Whata, and Philip Te Whata. After retiring from rugby league Te Whata spent many years involved in sport such as Athletics and cycling in the Poverty Bay area as well as being on the Tokomaru Bay Public School committee. On February 7, 1945 Bill Te Whaka’s brother Johnny died as the result of an accident in Gisborne. His death notice in the Gisborne Herald stated that he was the “beloved son of Edward and Repeka Te Whata, of Hokianga” and was aged 40 years. He was driving a tractor along the river bank between Peel Street and Lowe Street when under the employ of the Gisborne Borough Council.