Taramai poised for happy homecoming
MURPHY TARAMAI’S Monday misery didn’t last long.
A day after being told he’d missed the cut for the Wellington Sevens, the Upper Hutt flanker was called into the team for injured veteran Tim Mikkelson.
It’s fitting that Taramai gets the chance to showcase his skills in front of his home crowd in what marks another milestone for a player who threw in a promising league career in Australia to be closer to his family.
‘‘I grew up playing junior rugby league for the Upper Hutt Tigers, then the Petone Panthers seniors,’’ he said after taking a dip in Wellington Harbour yesterday.
‘‘I had a trial over there for Penrith [under20s], but didn’t make it, then I shot over to the Gold Coast and played for an A-grade team there but I got a bit homesick, so I came home and got into union. It was going OK but I got a bit lonely over there, I didn’t have any family and I found it hard to drive myself forward.’’
Watching Taramai with ball in hand that’s hard to believe, but league’s loss has been union’s gain since he joined the Upper Hutt colts in 2012.
After being named player of the tournament in the Wellington Ambassadors Sevens, he quickly caught the eye of Wellington coach Scott Waldrom, and was part of the side that won the nationals in 2013.
Last year he was contracted to the New Zealand sevens squad and, after impressing in Dubai and South Africa, is thrilled to get a chance to play in front of his friends and family, even if he had to ride a bit of an emotional roller-coaster to get there.
‘‘It was really hard to take,’’ he said of being told on Monday he’d missed the final 12. ‘‘I went to club training last night. The boys were all asking me [why I was there] and I said I didn’t make it.
‘‘But then getting the call-up from Titch was awesome, a pretty unbelievable feeling, especially playing at the home ground. I’m an Upper Hutt boy born and bred, went to Upper Hutt College, the family is out there, they’ll all be there on the weekend.’’
A year ago Taramai was in the stands dressed up as US rapper Andre 3000’s alter ego from the music video for Outkast’s hit single Hey Ya, but will happily trade the cardigan and bow tie for a New Zealand jersey.
Tietjens said he’d noticed how devastated Taramai was when he told him he wasn’t playing, and said it had weighed in his favour when he sat down to decide who would replace Mikkelson.
‘‘He’s from Wellington and that’s why he’s buzzing. He’ll give it his all, I know he will, so it’s quite special for him.’’