Ben Tameifuna leading Tonga's next generation after World Cup exodus

Tongan prop Ben Tameifuna was officially the biggest player at the Rugby World Cup in 2023 packing in at a mammoth 151kg.

Due to the unavailability of halfback Sonatane Takulua, Tameifuna was bestowed the biggest responsibility of his career when he was appointed Tongan captain.

Unfortunately, Tonga’s campaign wasn’t a success with heavy defeats to Ireland (59-16), Scotland (45-17) and eventual champions South Africa (49-18) but the giant tighthead developed a clear vision of the type of skipper he wants to be.

“I was really young when I first played for Tonga. Nili Latu was captain at the time and a great role model,” Tameifuna told RugbyPass.

“I enjoy the role. I want to show that once upon a time I was in the All Blacks environment before I chose a different path for living and the future. I want to show you can still represent your nation.

“I’m not the only leader in this team. I have a few leaders behind me. I just wear the badge.”

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Honest, selfless maturity wasn’t always a hallmark of Tameifuna when he was in New Zealand. The precocious, sometimes wayward, talent out of Hastings Boys’ High School credits late principal Rob Sturch for helping him develop more belief and better habits.

“Rod Sturch, what a man. Growing up in Flaxmere you think everyone is against you. Rod was one of the only guys who believed in you. He gave us hope. You can be from Flaxmere and make a great living,” Tameifuna said.

“He was tough on me. I remember he told me if my attendance wasn’t 80%, I couldn’t play for the First XV. It wasn’t just rugby, it was academics. You’re not playing if you don’t get your NCEA level one and two. Through that pressure, I learned discipline. You had to buckle down on and off the field.”

Alongside future internationals, Gareth Anscombe, Steven Luatua, TJ Perenara, Charles Piutau, Francis Saili, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor and Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tameifuna made the New Zealand Secondary Schools that toured Australia unbeaten in 2009.

In 2011 he was part of the New Zealand Junior Rugby World Cup winning team that featured 16 future internationals including All Blacks centurions Beauden Barrett and Brodie Retallick.

The following year he was called into the All Blacks squad to train ahead of the Irish series. It was the only taste of All Blacks rugby he would get. By 2015 the double Super Rugby winner with the Chiefs (65 games, 42 wins) departed for France where his legend has grown further.

Between 2015 to 2020, Tameifuna played 106 times (71 wins) for Racing 92 winning a Top 14 title in 2015-16. For the past five seasons (106 games, 59 wins) he’s been with Bordeaux.

Tameifuna played the first of his 34 tests for Tonga in 2017. He acknowledges Tonga has a young squad and is “rebuilding” in the upcoming Pacific Nations Cup with only ten survivors from the Rugby World Cup.

Tonga is grouped with Samoa and defending champions Fiji. Building confidence and combinations is the goal of new head coach Tevita Tu?ifua, parented by Nili Latu.

Tonga will seek to play with trademark vibrance and physicality but a recent trend in the game could stymie Tameifuna. It took an hour before the first scrum in the All Blacks Argentina test in Wellington.

“Less scrums, I’ve been asked about that a bit,” Tameifuna said

“South Africa has a really dominant forward pack and use the scrum as a weapon. We need to use running rugby as a weapon, and find that balance between being really physical and fit. People are going to have to be more effective around it.”