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Wallace Sititi reacts to Breakthrough Player of the Year nomination

Wallace Sititi of the All Blacks. Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

The World Rugby Awards 2024 nominees have been announced and the All Blacks will be hoping rookie sensation Wallace Sititi will be recognised for his immense 2024 campaign.

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The versatile loose forward swiftly made a name for himself for the Chiefs earlier this year, pushing All Black Luke Jacobson to the openside flank to accommodate the youngster at No. 8.

Despite performing throughout the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, including a valiant effort in a final that didn’t go his side’s way, it was a surprise to many to see Sititi’s name in the first All Blacks squad naming of the year, especially given the omission of his opposite in that final, the man who was awarded Super Rugby Pacific MVP, Hoskins Sotutu.

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Questions over the selection were answered on Saturday, September 7 on a clear Cape Town evening, when the rookie, in his first international start, wrestled the world champion Springboks and produced a statement performance that earned him the No. 6 jersey moving forward.

The performances since have been equally as impressive, putting Sititi’s name forward as perhaps a leading candidate for the Breakthrough Player of the Year award.

“I’m just extremely grateful. It’s been a big year, so just to have that acknowledgement, it’s crazy,” Sititi told media in Italy ahead of the All Blacks’ final Test of the year.

“For me, to be on the same list as some of those guys, I know Immanuel (Feyi-Waboso), Sacha (Feinburg-Mngomezulu) and Jamie (Osborne) are all quality players and just for me to be on that same list is an honour and a privilege in itself.”

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All Black winger Mark Tele’a took home the Breakthrough Player of the Year honours in 2023 and has been in Sititi’s ear since the nominations were revealed, with the likes of Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane having won previously for their rookie campaigns in the black jersey.

Should Sititi win, he would join Maro Itoje as just the second forward to be recognised for the award. The 22-year-old said 2024 had “for sure” been beyond his wildest dreams.

“I would have been happy with one game for the Chiefs, so to be here is definitely not what I was expecting. I think my family and I have just taken it for what it is and kept our feet grounded keep moving forward,” he said.

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While his on-field exploits have been grabbing headlines, All Blacks coaches have been most complimentary of Sititi’s mindset, characterised by maturity beyond his years and humility.

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“I still have a lot of room for improvement, there always is and you can see from the weekend sometimes our best isn’t good enough, so we’ve just got to keep moving forward and work with the coaches, who have been amazing, and see where we end up.”

The All Blacks’ “best” did indeed fall short of the mark against France over the weekend, with the team recording their first loss of their 2024 Autumn Nations Series campaign in a thriller of a Test match that ultimately went the hosts’ way by just one point.

It was New Zealand’s fourth loss of what has been a transition year, with Sititi being one of 10 new faces added to the All Blacks fraternity to kick off the new World Cup cycle.

“I’ve learnt a lot, and that’s credit to guys like my buddy here (Tamaiti Williams) and the boys in the environment but I think the big one is being able to win moment after moment. One little error can cost you the game and if you’re not fully present in that moment, the momentum of the game can switch just like that and it’s just about staying on and being present in every moment.”

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J
JW 5 hours ago
The Fergus Burke test and rugby's free market

Haha and you've got Alzheimers you old b@astard!


You haven't even included that second quote in your article! Thanks for the share though, as I found a link and I never knew that he would have been first school boy ever to have a contract with NZR if he had of chosen to stay.

n an extraordinary move, Tupou will walk away from New Zealand despite being offered extra money from the NZRU — the only time they have made such an offer to a schoolboy.While Tupou has fielded big-money offers from France and England, he said it was best for him and his family to live in Australia, where his older brother Criff works as a miner and will oversee his career.

Intersting also that the article also says

“They said that ‘if you’re not on a New Zealand passport and you’ve been here for four years, you can play for the team’,” Tupou said.“But I’ve been here for four years and they said I can’t play for the New Zealand A team. It’s not fair. Maybe I’m not good enough to stay here.“But that’s one of my goals this year — to play for the New Zealand A team. If I can play with them, then maybe I’ll change my mind from going to Australia. If I have the chance to play for the All Blacks, I’ll take it.”

And most glaringly, from his brother

Criff Tupou said: “What people should understand is that this in not about what Nela wants, or what I want, but what is best for our poor little family.“Playing rugby for New Zealand or Australia will always come second to our family.“My mum lives in Tonga, she would not handle the weather in New Zealand.“And I have a good job in Australia and can look after Nela.“If things don’t work out for him in rugby, what can he do in New Zealand? He is better off in Australia where I can help him get a job.“New Zealand has more rugby opportunities, but Australia has more work and opportunities, and I need to look after my little brother.“We haven’t signed a contract with anyone, we will wait and see what offers we get and make a decision soon.”

So actually my comment is looking more and more accurate.


It does make you wonder about the process. NZR don't generally get involved too much in this sort of thing, it is down to the clubs. Who where they talking to? It appears that the brother was the one making the actual decisions, and that he didn't see the same career opportunities for Taniela as NZR did, prioritizing the need for day jobs. That is were rugby comes in, I'm sure it would have been quite easy to find Criff much better work in NZ, and I highly suspect this aspect was missed in this particular situation, given the discussions were held at such a high level compared to when work can normally be found for a rugby signing. How might his career have paned out in NZ? I don't really buy the current criticisms that the Aussie game is not a good proving ground for young players. Perhaps you might have a better outlook on that now.


So you TLDR shouldn't be so aggressive when suffering from that alzheimers mate👍


Well I suppose you actually should if you're a writer lol

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