A 22-year-old Christchurch-based roofer who has never played a first class match before will start for Tonga against the All Blacks tomorrow.
Siua Maile runs the ball up for his Shirley club in Christchurch Photo: Shirley RFC / Rachel Briggs Photography
It caps a meteoric rise for hooker Siua Maile who was a shock inclusion when the 'Ikale Tahi Rugby World Cup squad was announced earlier this week.
Ikale Tahi coach Toutai Kefu admits he still did not know much about the young man who was only called into the squad a few weeks ago as the third-choice number two.
"We didn't envisage him taking any part in the World Cup, so we brought him along basically for experience and because we identified that he's got a massive potential and maybe a player of the future. Three weeks ago he was nailing tin roofs to houses so this is a great opportunity for him. I think he's still a bit shell-shocked to tell you the truth but what a wonderful opportunity."
Siua Maile grew up in Tonga but moved to New Zealand in 2013 to take up a rugby scholarship at Timaru Boys High School, where he played in the first fifteen for two years.
His coach at Shirley Rugby Club, Deane Lutton, said Maile was only converted from a loose forward a few seasons ago following a request from the Canterbury Rugby Union.
Unlike the All Blacks players he will come up against on Saturday, Maile has to juggle his rugby commitments with work and Lutton says 2019 is proving to be quite the year for the rising star.
