I JUST WANT TO MAKE MY GRANNY PROUD

Tuipulotu means business as he eyes Scots success

Glasgow warriors centre sione Tuipulotu was never coming to scotland from australia to ‘mess around’. He had too much love and respect for his family, especially his feisty scottish granny Jaqueline, to do that.

His story was never going to be one of a young man simply seeking a new adventure in a different country.

From the moment the 24-yearold set foot in the land where his grandmother was born, he was focused on doing his family proud and fulfilling his dream of playing for scotland. That he won his first cap against Tonga in october was a time for celebration but he wants more with the six Nations just a week away.

‘I wasn’t going to come all this way, away from my family for a long period of time, missing them, to mess around,’ said Tuipulotu, who had a spell at his hometown team Melbourne Rebels, then some time playing in Japan.

‘I was going to come here, put my best foot forward and try and achieve the goals I have set myself to do. No slacking at all.

‘I wanted to do them proud and not waste time. I knew the sacrifices I was making as I wouldn’t get the chance to watch my brothers grow up and stuff like that. I couldn’t live with myself if I missed out on those type of family things and didn’t make the most of the opportunity I have been given with glasgow warriors and scotland.’

It was his glaswegian granny, Jaqueline anne Thomson, who instilled his pride of having scottish ancestry and she was among the first people he phoned when he was set for his scotland debut against Tonga.

‘I qualify to play for scotland through her and all during my upbringing she was hugely influential,’ said Tuipulotu. ‘she played a big part in my decision to come over here and represent her and the rest of my family.

‘My dad, Tuhefohe, is Tongan and my mum, angelina, is the daughter of Jaqueline, who is in her 80s and currently retired on the gold Coast. she is living a nice life and she deserves it.

‘she is a feisty character but has a real grace about her. Her dad, gilbert, was a scottish pilot in the second world war and, looking through all the old pictures, people say I look quite like him. I know a lot of people will find that surprising and see my Tongan side but, looking at his physique, people say I am built quite similar to him.

‘I spoke to her before and after the game against Tonga but she is not very good with technology, to be honest. when I called her she wasn’t sure how to put the camera on reverse to see me!

‘she is a bundle of wisdom and I love listening to her stories. she is a breath of fresh in our family. when I was growing up she was the only scottish person in our family and she has a strong accent that she has never lost to this day.

‘she was very proud, like the rest of my family, when I made my debut but, first and foremost, she is happy I am doing something that I love. The bonus is I am doing it for scotland.’

Tuipulotu has been on the radar of scotland head coach gregor Townsend ever since he found out the player was dual qualified five years ago. Tuipulotu said: ‘gregor and gav Vaughan (scotland analyst) had been in touch with me since I was in the australia Under-20 team. I did not fully commit until I was 23 as I was in two minds over whether to try and go back to australia from Japan and have a crack at playing for the wallabies.

‘But after talking to gregor he made it sound very real that if I did well for glasgow, I could go on to play for scotland.’

such was Townsend’s desire to get Tuipulotu capped for scotland that he called him up for the summer tour to Romania and georgia before he had played even a single game for the scotstoun club. Unfortunately for both men, the tour was cancelled due to Covid.

‘I flew from Japan straight into the scotland camp,’ said the centre. ‘It was a good experience for me and gave me a good chance to meet some of the glasgow boys before I came to the club and build relationships.’

He started the season well, which led to his first scotland cap against Tonga, and he was one injury away from adding to that in the three other games against australia, south africa and Japan as he was the 24th man for all of them.

Having settled well in glasgow with his partner lara, Tuipulotu is hoping his excellent recent form that led to him being named McCrea’s Player of the Month will help him secure a place in the match-day squad for the six Nations opener against England.

‘I am not going there to just train,’ said the glasgow centre. ‘I want to put my hand up and play as much as I can and contribute to the success of the team.

‘gregor and the squad are building something pretty special. I have seen a lot of reaction to this squad with people saying it is the strongest squad that has been picked in a long time, so I am happy to be part of that. But my goal is not just to be in the squad. I want to contribute in the six Nations.’

one thing he has in his favour is the centre partnership he has forged with sam Johnson at glasgow. He looks on Johnson, an aussie who qualified for scotland under residency rules, as a man who followed the same path that he is currently on.

‘I have bonded very well with sam on and off the pitch as he came down a similar route,’ said Tuipulotu. ‘He moved over here and did well in the same type of position as me.

‘He has helped me a lot, teaching me the glasgow way, and I think we make a pretty good combination on the field. we can be even better than we are now.

‘off the field, everything is also going really well and it is great having my girlfriend with me now. she spent a bit of time with me over in Japan but when Covid hit she went home. so I had not seen her in over a year before she came to glasgow.’

McCrea Financial Services, an Independent Financial Adviser based in central Glasgow and long-term sponsor of Glasgow Warriors, provide a wide range of services for getting the most out of your finances. To find out more visit mccreafs.co.uk