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Bundee Aki sends new reminder to All Blacks he's the one that got away
By Josh Raisey
Ireland and Connacht centre Bundee Aki has officially become an Irish citizen after moving to the country ten years ago.
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The 34-year-old was born and raised in New Zealand, and began his professional career there before making the move to Connacht in 2014.
Three years after moving to Galway, the centre qualified to play for Ireland, where he has gone on to earn 57 caps since making his debut against South Africa in November 2017.
In a ceremony at Dublin’s Convention Centre on Monday, the 2021 British and Irish Lion was one of 3,600 people who were granted Irish citizenship.
“I have nothing to complain about here,” Aki said after becoming a citizen.
“I love the people, I love the culture, I get along with a lot of them here in Ireland. There’s not a bad word I can speak about Ireland. Every time I go somewhere with my family, people welcome us, people are so lovely.
“We feel like we’re at home at the moment away from home. Wherever we go, every time we get back home we think ‘it’s nice to be back at home.'”
Aki has been a rock in the Irish midfield ever since making his debut seven years ago and has shown no signs of letting up. This time last year he enjoyed a standout World Cup in green where he was one of the best players in the tournament. He has three Six Nations titles to his name, including two Grand Slams in 2018 and 2023.
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Despite crashing out to the All Blacks in the quarter-final stage of the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, Aki will surely go down as one of the biggest ‘one’s that got away’ for New Zealand rugby given the success he has had on the international stage.
The 102kg centre has also tasted success with Connacht as well, winning the Pro12 in 2016.
Despite missing the second Test against South Africa in July due to a shoulder injury, Aki is back in training but Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins has said he will not make a return until round three of the United Rugby Championship season due to his workload over the summer.
Thought I blocked this bigoted a$$hole.
"Only one of the starting 15 was raised in Ireland, only 3 of the 23 man squad."
🤣
Only one of the starting 15 was raised outside Ireland, only 3 of the 23 man squad. I have differentiated in other comments on this article, just not to you, humble apologies, but it makes little difference. Was this your major correction that you thought warranted your comment about me being an embarrassment to teh Irish rugby people?
Considering that 10 of the 2023 NZ squad for the RC were born outside, do you accept that NZ supporters attacking Ireland or Aki may be guilty of hypocrisy?
Do you accept the bad taste in attcking Aki during an article on his citizenship?
Will you also accuse me of being an embarrassment to Ireland for holding these views?
Should have said that I, not you, corrected your original comment.
Wow. You're a really disrespectful arschloch.
Tim is Dim?
Is it international? I live in Germany, never heard it. 10 years in UK, never heard it. 1 year in Ireland, never heard it. What can I say?
It's international but may not have reached the provinces yet.
'Hoisted by your own Petard'? mean anything....? Deary me..
Yeah I like apples. Not sure where you going with the fruit reference. Is it an Irish thing?
yeah.. the way he won that RWC quarter final for Ireland.... what's that?
All the boasting NZ do about that match you would swear they won the RWC.
SA won: everyone else lost. NZ are well on their way to a permanent RWC drought. You would think they would know better and rein in the arraogance and boasting?
Ireland taught him to be a great rugby player - it truly helps he's playing for the best rugby team in world now.
(if you can make James Lowe - who's 💩 seem good, you have great systems) - he clearly wasn't going to get that in the SH - as you can see how utterly poor the skill. Levels are in the SH these days.
He learned how to play proper rugby in Ireland, make a living wage at it and play in full stadiums for great teams for supporters who actually love the game and buy tickets to support their teams. Things he'd never had gotten In the SH
James Lowe was an exceptional super rugby player when he was in NZ - word is that he had too much of an ego......so fits right in to the Irish system and with fans like you.
can't make it past a quarter final in a game that counts...
naaige, you old knob! How's tricks? I mean literally, how's tricks?
Bundee has done great and good on him. If you gave him a magic button though and he could swap his whole career for ireland for just one cap as an AB, he would hit that button in an instant. It's ok to be realistic.
He is a wonderful player and you can see he gives his all when playing for Ireland. Imho he is one of the players that would make a world team if we were to play Mars tomorrow.
Congratulations Bundee Aki and family for the Irish citizenship... an Irish rugby legend and his name forevermore will be written in Ireland Rugby Union history...to be sure, to be sure....Respect...
He could've qualified for Samoa and China as well due to his ethnicity.
Not too late
You love our boys you Irish, you've even got our Nankivell, now he's another good buy for you.
We beat SA in Durban with one overseas player. Something the great and humble NZ cant do with a full compliment of Samoans. Put a lid in it son. Concentrate on NZs whiny slide into irrelevance.
Steve Hansen stated that he was unhappy when Aki announced he was leaving, so clearly, he had been identified as a player of potential.
However, NZ rugby could not compete with the Euro's that Aki was offered and the potential income stream if he then qualified to play for Ireland via residency.
Thankfully, WR addressed this by extending the residency period from 3 to 5 years and thus disincentivizing certain unions from having so-called "project players" to address gaps in their depth.
Aki has achieved Irish citizenship. Appears to be happy. All we see is the usual self righteous nonsense from the country who has been naturalizing Samoans forever.