Koroibete missed the birth of his third son to play for Australia

4:58am, 08 July 2021

By AAP

Also by AAP

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

4:58am, 08 July 2021

Marika Koroibete has revealed he missed the birth of his third son in order to play for Australia in their opening Test against France on Wednesday. The winger was among the Wallabies’ best as they snatched a 23-21 win at Suncorp Stadium with a penalty goal after full-time.

But the win came with a sacrifice for Koroibete, with his partner Emma giving birth in Melbourne. Border restrictions made travel between the Queensland and Victoria difficult, while Koroibete has also been prevented from seeing extended family, including his parents, in Fiji.

Koroibete has been based on the Gold Coast in camp training with Australia for the past three weeks, while he also spent months away from his family when his Melbourne Rebels team was forced out of their home state to play Super Rugby last year.

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The Rebels winger posted of his love and gratitude to his partner on Instagram. “How lucky I am to have strong wife like you to endure the pain and al l the labour stuff by yourself,” Koroibete wrote. “I asked you if you want me to come and be with you and you said it’s okay after the game then you come.

“I’m super proud of you how you handled the labour hours on your own. Thank you Covid for closing the boarders (sic) otherwise bring our parents over. Anyway we want welcome baby boy Immanuel Lester Koroibete to this world.”

The Wallabies bench made all the difference in the first test against France. #AUSvFRA https://t.co/4Iy7WiRUGY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 8, 2021

Koroibete left the Gold Coast on Thursday, with the Wallabies hopeful of relocating on Sunday to Melbourne ahead of Tuesday’s second Test. The 28-year-old is set to depart Australian rugby to take up a contract in Japan next season, a major blow for the Wallabies.