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The All Black who was 'supposed to' play basketball in America
Loose forward Pita Gus Sowakula announced himself to the rugby world with a try on debut for the All Blacks against Ireland last year. But most rugby fans wouldn’t know that Sowakula is a dual international.
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After picking up basketball in 2009, Sowakula travelled down a unique career path – one that so nearly led him to the United States of America.
Sowakula played for Fiji at the 2012 FIBA Oceania Under 19 Championships, and went on to make his senior debut for the Pacific Island nation the following year.
Having impressed for Fiji on the international stage, Sowakula “was supposed to get an offer” to play college basketball in America.
But basketball wasn’t his future, rugby was.
Sowakula “didn’t turn out going down” the basketball pathway, and ended up switching his focus back to rugby union.
“When I first started off, I was supposed to get an offer to go (play) basketball in America, I got a scholarship,” Sowakula told RugbyPass.
“I was supposed to go for a scholarship over there, supposed to be in Iowa, somewhere in Iowa.
“The coaches or something got changed the year I was supposed to go and that’s when I was like, ‘Oh nah.’
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“As soon as that offer got turned down or that scholarship got turned down, I was back to my rugby and I was like, ‘I’ll give it a go for sevens.’
“It was aim to play for Fiji at that time, sevens was very big back home.”
Sowakula was working at a hotel resort in Fiji – and playing for the hotels sevens team – when his life changed forever.
The future All Black met a New Zealand-born agent who was checking out of the hotel. Eventually, that conversation led to the the now 28-year-old signing for Taranaki’s academy.
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“I was working back at a hotel back in Fiji and I met one of the agents who is a Kiwi, but he was in Australia.
“He was on his last day, he was checking out, about to go back to Aussie. We met at the front and he asked me if I play rugby and I just said yes.
“He gave his card and said we’ll keep in touch. He asked other work colleagues how I’d been playing and they said I played for the hotel sevens team.
“He said we’ll go back to Aussie and sort out your papers, and maybe three or four weeks after that the papers came through and he said, ‘You’re off to Taranaki.’ I didn’t even know where it was, I just said yes.
“I knew it was in New Zealand but I didn’t know where Taranaki was.”
The former basketball centre was recognised as a promising talent at the Taranaki Rugby awards after the 2017 season, and was picked up by for Super Rugby honours with the Chiefs.
Sowakula had been a winger before switching positions by becoming a loose forward with the Bulls, and now he’s an All Black.
Truly, Pita Gus Sowakula’s story is one fit for Hollywood.
Sowakula made a try-scoring debut for the All Blacks last year, and played one more Test match in the famous jersey during that series.
But after being dropped from the squad, and not included in the All Blacks XV team either, Sowakula announced his decision to sign with Clermont in France for after the World Cup.
Sowakula has never been to France, but was visibly excited about the opportunity to experience a new culture overseas.
But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up on the All Blacks just yet.
“It’s just the right time for me to go.
“The All Blacks dream it still there for the World Cup or (the Rugby) Championship coming up.”
Sowakula has been nothing short of sensational for the Chiefs this season, as he played a crucial role in their rise to the top of the table.
Arguably in career-best form, Sowakula will come off the bench for the Chiefs in their final regular season clash against the Western Force in Perth this weekend.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
2 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
2 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
237 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to comments