Pacific island plunder continues

WELLINGTON: Bundee Aki’s inclusion in the Ireland squad last week prompted a few grumbles in the local media but it could not have come as a major shock to anyone that a New Zealander with Samoan heritage might be about to make his Test debut in green.

The plunder of Pacific island talent was once a stick used by the northern hemisphere to beat New Zealand, an allegation that might help explain how a nation of a few million could produce a team as dominant as the All Blacks.

If there was always some foundation to the accusation — Jerome Kaino, Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina were born in the islands — there is barely a tier one nation who could level it with a straight face today.

England, Australia, Wales, France and Italy have all fielded players who would qualify to play for Fiji, Samoa or Tonga in recent years.

The attraction for those nations is clear, with the blend of bulk, power and pace the Pasifika players offer being perfectly suited to the attritional battle that is modern rugby.

For the players, while their sentiment might favour staying home and improving their national teams, the economic realities of growing up in Suva, Apia or Nukualofa,ˆ or even a poor neighbourhood of Auckland, make a move abroad highly attractive.

Aki, now 27, faced a logjam of talented players in front of him in the queue for an All Blacks shirt and was coaxed to Connacht in 2014 by their coach, Aucklandborn former Samoa captain Pat Lam.

No promises were made, but Aki made it clear he intended to fulfil World Rugby’s residency requirements and qualify for Ireland.

“That’s a big part of my decision to move,” he said. “Hopefully when the time is right and if I’m playing good footy, hopefully I can play for Ireland.

“I’m eligible for Samoa. That was another big decision for myself. If I play three years over there and it doesn’t go well, I can always go back to Samoa.

“They are a good international team as well but I’m just trying to look after my family and myself.” Reuters

The Wallabies squad heading north contains four players born in Fiji, while the All Blacks named six Pasifika-born players in their extended 37-man squad. Reuters