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'It'll be a success': Charles Piutau's vision for Tonga at 2023 World Cup
Former All Blacks star Charles Piutau is dreaming up big things for Tonga when the Pacific Island nation competes next year’s World Cup in France.
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While the ‘Ikale Tahi are still yet to qualify for rugby’s global showpiece event, a play-off series victory against either Hong Kong, South Korea or Malaysia to book their place in Pool B as the Asia/Pacific qualifier seems inevitable.
Even more so when you consider the talent that Tonga head coach Toutai Kefu has at his disposal now that World Rugby has changed its eligibility laws, which came into effect on January 1.
By enabling test-capped players to switch countries they are eligible for through birthright following a three-year stand down period, World Rugby has opened the door for a plethora of ex-international stars to play for test rugby once again.
Piutau, who played the last of his 17 All Blacks tests in 2015 before leaving to take up several lucrative club contracts in Europe, is one of those players.
Ineligible to play for the All Blacks by virtue of playing his club rugby abroad, Piutau can now return to international rugby with Tonga, the home nation of his parents and the country that he represented at U20 level in 2010.
The 30-year-old isn’t the only household name set to join the ‘Ikale Tahi following World Rugby’s change in ruling.
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A swathe of ex-All Blacks and Wallabies – Israel Folau, Malakai Fekitoa, Sekope Kepu, Adam Coleman, Vaea Fifita, George Moala, Augustine Pulu and Atu Moli – either have or will become eligible for Tonga by the end of 2022 after having not played test rugby for years.
Likewise, Samoa are set to benefit hugely from the law change, but Piutau is particularly hopeful of how World Rugby’s revamped laws will impact Tonga.
Speaking to Pacific Beat on ABC, Piutau revealed his aspirations for the ‘Ikale Tahi to have the kind of impact at the 2023 World Cup that their rugby league counterparts, Mate Ma’a Tonga, had at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
At that tournament, Tonga became a revelation as they defeated New Zealand en route to secure a place in the semi-final, where they came within seconds of toppling England.
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Their dream run was the story of the tournament and captivated audiences worldwide, but it was the change of international allegiance from NRL stars, the most prominent of whom was ex-Kiwis prop Jason Taumalolo, that fuelled Tonga’s success.
Piutau told Pacific Beat that he envisages the ‘Ikale Tahi producing similar fanfare should the aforementioned names join forces and add depth to the talent already evident within the Tongan squad ahead of next year’s World Cup.
“I think that’s the hope,” he said of Tonga’s goal of making an impact in international rugby in the wake of World Rugby’s law change.
“Not only myself, Malakai and a lot of other guys are eligible, and I think what Jason and the other guys in league [did], I think, was kind of the blueprint and kind of opened our eyes, really, to what can happen when the opportunity lies ahead.
“Even if we can make games more competitive, that’s a start, but what the league guys [did] there, I think that was definitely an eye-opener, for myself, to see the impact that it had on young Tongan kids.
“Whether they were in Tonga, New Zealand, Australia or wherever, there was a sense of, ‘They want to grow up and put on the red jersey and represent Tonga’.
“I think if we can replicate something similar to that, then I think it’ll be a success.”
A long-time advocate for World Rugby to change its eligibility laws, Piutau said he is “really stoked and happy” that he now has the chance to play for Tonga after years of failed attempts for the rules to be altered.
Now the equal-highest paid player in rugby believes there is a sense of excitement among his countrymen about what they can achieve if they all take to the field together.
“I’ve been in touch with a few players, and I think that does help when they hear other players – not only myself, but the potential lineup we could put together – in the team,” he told Pacific Beat.
“I think that brings a lot of excitement and makes guys want to take that step if they’re kind of on the fence.”
From a personal standpoint, the opportunity to play for Tonga brings Piutau and his family a strong sense of pride, especially considering his older brother Siale is a former captain of the ‘Ikale Tahi and played at three World Cups.
By contrast, Charles is yet to play at a World Cup, a feat that is scarcely believable when you consider the talent and star power he possesses.
Controversially excluded by the All Blacks from their successful 2015 World Cup squad as a result of his decision to head overseas at the age of just 23, Piutau is instead targeting a World Cup debut with his new team in little more than 18 months’ time.
Even if Tonga somehow spectacularly fail to qualify for the tournament, the chance to play for his parents’ homeland as early as this July is an opportunity that both Piutau and his family will cherish.
“I think, for myself, that the World Cup is the pinnacle of our game. I haven’t been there yet,” he said.
“To represent Tonga and to pull on a jersey, my brother has done that, captained the team, so I think to follow in his footsteps will be a huge honour for myself.
“I know, speaking to my parents, they would be really proud to see me put on that red jersey and represent the country of their birth. It would mean a lot.”
Comments on RugbyPass
After their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
2 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
3 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to comments