'My heart is solely on England' - meet the 6 foot 5, 124kg Fijian born No.8 being touted as the next Vunipola
When your uncle has 65 caps for Fiji, your elder sister is an England international and your cousin is on the cusp of an England debut, with half the country talking him up as a Rugby World Cup bolter, there’s a good chance you were always going to end up in rugby.
That impressive family tree belongs to Rus Tuima.
The nephew of Akapusi Qera, brother of Lagi Tuima and cousin of Joe Cokanasiga, there was always a bit of predestiny about the young Exeter Chiefs back rower.
Born in Suva, Tuima moved to England with his family when he was four and quickly began to make waves in the rugby world. A product of both the Ivybridge AASE program and Exeter College, Tuima shone at U18 level last season and is now in the midst of his first campaign as a professional rugby player.
Even though he stands at 6’5” and tips the scales at just over 19 stone, that doesn’t mean the transition from a junior to a senior player has been seamless for Tuima.
“It’s been a wild one, coming straight from college rugby into men’s rugby. I have found it quite a big step up, to be honest. For example, in the 18s, I could carry upright and happily make a few metres, but coming into this environment, you have to be really technical about what you do. If I carry high at this level, then it’s more likely I’m going to be moving backwards rather than forwards!”
“So, it has been a big step up, but it’s one that I prepared for. It’s been really good coming into this environment, especially with people you would see on TV every now and then and wish you were in their position. To be training alongside them now is pretty cool.”
“You do what you love every day and you get paid for it, so I really can’t complain! It’s a good life.”
One of the ways Exeter have looked to ease Tuima’s transition into the senior game is by dual-registering him with Plymouth Albion, in National One. The 18-year-old has become a mainstay in the Plymouth XV over the last few weeks, packing down on the blindside.
“It’s quite similar to what I was saying earlier, with men’s rugby I’m just getting used to it all and every game is a learning curve. I’m just trying to take it in my stride.”
“It’s really good down there [Plymouth] and it is an experience which is definitely developing me as a player.”
In addition to the enviable size Tuima boasts, he has also had the support of a rugby-heavy family to help him through the transition, as well as put him on the path to where he is now, and former Gloucester stalwart Qera has been key in that regard.
“Just the way he carried himself, really. When I was younger, I’d go to his house and he’d teach me how to pass a rugby ball and little things like that. He’d just give me advice every now and then, such as telling me how to be good player, tips on reading the game well and little inputs like that.”
“My sister came quite late to the game, but she’s come up so quickly. Her drive and motivation sort of inspired me and we were there for each other. We’d back each other through everything.”
“And with Joe, we used to play touch together in Plymouth when he was down. We just used to chuck a ball around and it’s crazy now to see how well he has gone.”
To have three professional rugby players in the family is more than most people can hope for, but that’s not the end of the influences on Tuima’s budding career, with more than a fair share of impressive back rowers to learn from at Exeter.
“Sam [Simmonds] and I are quite different. He’s a lot quicker and probably a bit more mobile than I am, but his carrying ability is something I have tried to take from, just the way he brushes through contact. The same with Thomas [Waldrom], really. I didn’t really get to meet Thomas on that level, but I did manage to meet him once and he helped me understand what my roles and responsibilities as a number eight are.”
“Big Dave Ewers is up there in terms of someone I look up to, as well, especially the way he carries. I think we are quite similar players.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IXiE1dw-l8
“Bob Crooks was a really good coach for me coming up, too, he built a lot of character in me throughout my time at Ivybridge. Sam Morton, at Exeter College, also, and then Rich Middleton, who is part of the S&C team. He kind of helped me get to where I wanted to be with my mechanics and in the gym.”
“All of the staff, really, I’m just nit-picking. Everyone at the club has helped me.”
“I wan to mention my parents, too. They have had a massive influence on my game coming up through the grassroots. My mum was always there, taking me to training and driving me up and down the country to watch games, whilst my dad played number eight in his playing days, so I tried to follow in his footsteps.”
“They’re the main reason I love the game.”
Whilst the comparison in style to Ewers is clear to see for anyone who has watched the pair play, there are also, given Tuima’s size and Pacific Island heritage, comparisons being made to Billy Vunipola. It’s a heavy burden for a young player to carry, but Tuima, as he does with most things in his career, seems to be taking it in his sizeable stride.
“In my eyes, it’s a massive compliment. Billy Vunipola is Billy Vunipola, isn’t he? I mean we are different people but the way he plays the game is really good to watch for me as a young gun hoping to come through.”
“He’s a very good person to learn from, just by watching his game. We are different, but I see it as a compliment, more than anything.”
Continue reading below…
Watch: Lawrence Dallaglio discusses Danny Cipriani’s England omission and the back row option available to Eddie Jones.
With the Premiership Cup kicking off this weekend, it’s an understandable time for young players to be excited and potentially get ahead of themselves, but Exeter have always been a club that take a patient approach to blooding youngsters.
For Tuima, this is part and parcel of the professional game and he is not getting himself worked up about when that opportunity to breakthrough is going to come.
“My focus is just to keep developing as I am. When my time comes, it will come. For the moment, I’m just happy to keep training as I am and hopefully develop into the best player I can be.”
“I’m enjoying it and I think that’s key for me, to be enjoying my rugby and just keep doing what I’m doing.”
“England U20s is definitely one of my goals this season, though. I also want to be a consistent starter for Plymouth and go along that route so that I can continue to develop.”
“Hopefully I’ll get a few Prem Cup games or Shield games under my belt and that will top the season off for me. If a Prem debut comes from it, then great!”
We couldn’t let Tuima go before asking him where his international allegiances reside, either, and the answer will be a relief to England rugby fans.
“Honestly, I have thought about it. My heart is solely on England, if the opportunity arises. I feel like I owe a lot to the country.”
International calls are a long way off still for Tuima, who is at the bottom rung of the professional ladder at the moment, but if he continues to attack his development with the calmness and composure he has thus far, the future is certainly bright for the young number eight.
With an array of National One and Greene King IPA Championship playing opportunities in the south-west, two seasons of U20 eligibility to go and a contract with a club that has a penchant for dynamic ball-carrying back rowers, Tuima is certainly going to be one to watch over the next few seasons.
In other news: Rassie Erasmus discusses South Africa’s upcoming European tour, which kicks off against England at Twickenham.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments