Nanai aims to fill Heem’s shoes at Worcester

MELANI Nanai has revealed how Auckland’s tardiness in offering him a new contract enabled Worcester to enlist his services as a gainline-busting replacement for Bryce Heem.

The loss of try machine Heem to Toulon over the summer came as a blow to Worcester supporters, who also saw Welsh wing Josh Adams depart across the border to Cardiff Blues.

However, the acquisition of heavy-hitter Nanai – who stands 6ft 4ins (1.94m) and weighs just shy of 15st– could prove to be one of the season’s best bits of transfer business.

Nanai, whose wife hails from Yorkshire, told

“I’d have been happy to stay at the Blues but I didn’t get an early enough contract offer. I started looking overseas and Michael Fatialofa was one of the big reasons I ended up at Worcester.

“He heard that I wasn’t signed to anyone and got in contact with me. We’re good friends from our time together in Auckland and he’s enjoying being at Worcester, so it became a pretty easy decision to move over to England in the end.

“Auckland wanted to wait until the last Super Rugby season started before sorting something out. Four weeks into it they eventually offered me a new contract, but it was too late then. I’d already signed here and I wasn’t going to go back on it.

“My wife’s from Keighley so she’s a lot nearer family and friends now and there are quite a few guys at the club I know from back home. As well as Fats, I played with Matt Moulds at Auckland for five years and Jono Kitto was there as well, so that’s helping my transition.” Nanai joins Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo among the most exciting additions to a Premiership.

His task will be to replicate the impact of Heem, who bagged 25 tries in 62 Premiership games for Worcester and established a reputation as a fearsome competitor.

Nanai, 26, added: “I played with Bryce in his last year at Auckland and I always kept an eye on how he was doing.

“Hopefully, I can bring a lot of what he brought to the table because I enjoy that free-flowing, attacking game and that’s what Worcester have signed me to do.

“They want me to carry strongly, beat defenders and score some tries, so I’m really looking forward to what looks a great competition.”