'Inga The Winger'

switches code

RELIEF in New Zealand rugby union

circles over Va’aiga Tuigamala’s

rejection of an approach to play rugby league (as reported in PIM Novem ber) has proven premature. The powerful Samoan winger signed a contract with English rugby league giant Wigan on Boxing Day which, according to several reliable sources, will yield him NZ51,400,000 over the next few years.

Tuigamala cites the treatment of his friend and fellow Auckland winger, John Kirwan, as the reason for the change of heart. Kirwan was uncere moniously dumped from the All Blacks party that recently toured Britain after several years of service, during which he created many tryscoring records.

This made the injury prone Tuigamala appreciate the fragility of his own rugby union career and reassess his position. He has always stressed that family matters come first and the financial future of the Tuigamala’s family has now been secured.

“Inga The Winger”, as he is popularly known, stated that his earlier rebuff of Wigan was due to a fear of the effect living in England would have on his involvement with the Samoan Church in Auckland. He is a born-again Christian. However, in Britain, Tuigamala now realises, there already exists a large community of Pacific islanders playing rugby many of whom are active in evangelical movements. Prominent among them are fellow Samoans John Schuster, Se’e Solomona, Eseene Faimalo and Daryll Williams; Tongans George Mann and Emosi Koloto; Raroton gans Kevin Iro and Joe Grima and Tokelauans Sam Panapa (a teammate at Wigan), Tea and Iva Ropati. □