Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Emotional Andy Farrell's lovely tribute to the late Inga Tuigamala

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Allsport)

Ireland coach Andy Farrell has paid a beautifully emotional tribute to Va’aiga Tuigamala, his former Wigan rugby league teammate who sadly passed away on Thursday at the age of just 52. Having represented the All Blacks at the 1991 World Cup, ‘Inga the winger’ was already an established rugby union star when he breezed in through the doors of Farrell’s league club in England in 1993. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Six years younger than Tuigamala, Farrell was in awe of the Samoan-born legend’s talent during their time together at Wigan and the notification of his sudden death hit the Ireland coach so hard that he had to take a minute by himself on the Six Nations training ground to absorb the tragic news. 

Tuigamala played 102 games for Wigan, scoring 62 tries in that time, but it wasn’t just the prowess of his ability on the pitch that left a lasting impression on Farrell, who followed his friend in changing rugby codes and becoming a reputable union figure in his own right. “You’ve got me there because he’s a tremendous fella,” said Farrell when asked on Friday afternoon for his memories of his former league teammate.

Video Spacer

Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 51:43
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 51:43
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Facing Goliath | A story following Italy as they take on the mighty All Blacks | A Rugby Originals Documentary

    “I was very lucky to be able to spend some time with him. When you meet some people, they just touch you straight away from the off. His smile, his generosity, his just being as a person was outstanding. He touched everyone and he was very giving of his knowledge. I’m talking about him as a person here, how he was as a family man, devoted husband and father. 

    “Whilst he was at Wigan the amount of people that used to come over and see him, not just family but friends shows what he means to people and when he left Wigan we was all gutted because he added so much to the group. So that’s him as a person and I suppose that is what we will miss first and foremost. 

    Related

    “From a rugby fans’ point of view, he was awesome. I mean, I was in awe of him. I was young. When I was playing with him I was in awe of his skill. He came over to rugby league and it was daunting for him because Inga had played (amateur era) rugby union on the wing, he wouldn’t have been used to being thrown into the professional game. 

    “I remember him being thrown into a game playing centre against the legend of Mal Meninga – what a tussle. He adapted unbelievably well because of his skill set and he had unbelievable feet for such a big, dynamic, powerful beast of a man, so I can’t say enough about him. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I was on the training field yesterday [Thursday] and it came up on my watch. I couldn’t believe it. I actually couldn’t believe it. I had to have a minute to myself. Prayers and thoughts are obviously with his nearest and dearest. Very sad news for everyone.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    LIVE

    Vancouver SVNS | Day 1

    Boks Office | Episode 35 | Six Nations Round 2 Review

    O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

    Second round of the Men's Six Nations | Whistle Watch

    Harlequins vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Saitama Wildknights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

    The Dupont Ploy: How France went from underdogs to Olympic gods | The Report

    Former rugby player is truly an NFL superstar | Walk the Talk | Jordan Mailata

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    1 Comment
    h
    hellen 1091 days ago

    Very sad news as the news of the other rugby player who passed at 48 years old

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    J
    JW 3 hours ago
    'He wants players to be able to play four positions': Former All Black critiques Robertson's strategy

    I have the selection opinion of ‘chuck them in the deep end, see if they swim’. Starting Mo’unga in the third test

    But you’re calling favoritism of Dmac based on common practice, thats the illogical mindset you have and which I’m pointing out.

    He isn’t Mo’unga which disproves your statement

    You’ve missed my point. Mo’unga is your fixation for ‘game manager’. Dmac is every bit the game manager even then, his boot has always been his best asset.

    At 10 I would’ve had: Cruden, B Barrett, and McKenzie

    Thats fine, but that statement you’re trying to defend is “I guess Hansen sold them the idea that McKenzie was the way forward at 10” with the implication that now, in 2023 they let Mo’unga go because Dmac he was selected there for one test in 2018.

    I brought it up as I it shows that Hansen and Foster would rather have a second 10

    I brought those facts up to as I believe that both Hansen and Foster didn’t really want Mo’unga at 10 and only used him at 10 when they ran out of other ideas (which they both did)

    And I have shown you the real facts, that they didn’t do that. They played MO’UNGA! The very next series after Dmac was asked to play 10 due to injury, with no experience (hence why he wanted more the next year), Mo’unga was used as the alternative 10 to Barrett, playing one game, WITH MCKENZIE AT 15, of the 6 Rugby Championships. The series after that was were opinion really shifted to Mo’unga having a better partnership with Dmac at the back than Barrett did.


    THOSE ARE THE ONLY RELEVANT FACTS!


    You can have your theories all you like Spew, but I’m telling you they are based on you own fallacy when it comes your picture of Dmac, and therefor any correlation with Mo’unga. They have always been great together.

    110 Go to comments
    W
    WilmaKiel 5 hours ago
    One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

    Individuals should exercise extreme caution in the investment landscape, as numerous fraudulent investment companies and deceptive recovery firms operate globally. The difficulty in withdrawing funds from trading accounts, or the experience of complete financial loss, is unfortunately a common occurrence. These situations often involve sophisticated schemes designed to exploit unsuspecting investors. For example, Ponzi schemes promise exceptionally high returns with minimal risk, attracting investors who subsequently lose their principal investments when the scheme collapses. Another common tactic involves fraudulent brokers who manipulate trading platforms or provide false information to induce losses. Furthermore, many victims fall prey to scam recovery firms that promise to retrieve stolen funds but instead demand upfront fees without delivering on their promises. These firms often operate anonymously and lack any legitimate regulatory oversight. MARS TECH RECOVERY GURUs offers guidance and assistance to individuals who have experienced such financial losses. Our services encompass a comprehensive assessment of the situation, identification of the perpetrators, and the pursuit of legal avenues for fund recovery. This process may involve collaborating with law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, and legal professionals to build a robust case for restitution. It is crucial to remember that recovering stolen funds requires patience, diligence, and a thorough understanding of the legal processes involved. While MARS TECH RECOVERY GURUs strives to provide effective solutions, the success of any recovery effort is dependent on various factors, including the nature of the fraud, the availability of evidence, and the cooperation of relevant authorities. Therefore, prospective clients should approach the process with realistic expectations and a commitment to full transparency and cooperation.

    Contact Email: support@marstechrecoverygurus.info

    Telegram: @Marstechrecoveryguru

    whatsapp: +1 (747) 447-9063

    URL: https://marstechrecoverygurus.info

    28 Go to comments
    R
    RegineIsaksen 7 hours ago
    One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

    Sometimes life gives you signs-you just got to be paying attention. One night, deep in an Uber ride, I struck up a conversation with the driver. The topic of Bitcoin came up, and he mentioned that he once lost his wallet containing $50,000.

    I thought this would be the end of the story-something like regret, lessons learned, and moving on. But then he said something that stuck with me: "Thankfully, I found Lee Ultimate Hacker. They got everything back." I nodded, really interested but unconcerned. After all, I was so very careful with my wallet security. I thought, That's rough, but it could never happen to me. A week later, it happened to me. I lost the wallet holding $300,000 while overhauling my crypto storage system. In one wrong move, my funds became completely unreachable. I retraced passwords, checked backups, tried everything that normally works, but nothing worked. Panic kicked in. My mind was racing, trying to figure out my next move. And then, I remembered the Uber driver's story.

    I didn't waste a moment and contacted Lee Ultimate Hacker. Right upon connecting to their team, I could feel my nerves calm down. They did not right away get to work but also asked questions, analyzed my situation, and explained how the recovery would go. It was next-level professionalism; they didn't just work on how to return my money but also how to make me understand what happened and how I could avoid it in the future. Finally, after what felt like the longest wait of my life, came the message that I had been waiting for: My wallet was recovered successfully.

    Relief doesn't even begin to describe my feeling at that moment. That $300,000 wasn't just money; it was years of careful investments and strategic planning. And in an instant, it was all back where it belonged. In retrospect, I owe more than a five-star rating to that Uber driver. His story gave me a lifeline which I didn't know I needed. Lesson learned: Pay attention to those random conversations-you never know when they might save you a fortune.

    LEEULTIMATEHACKER @ AOL . COM

    telegram: LEEULTIMATE

    wh@tsapp +1 (715) 314 - 9248

    28 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Explosive bench propels Chiefs to record win over Crusaders Explosive bench propels Chiefs to victory against the Crusaders
    Search