Siate Tokolahi

Siate Tokolahi arrived in New Zealand from Tonga at sixteen on a scholarship to a school in Auckland, and moved to one in Christchurch a year later. Canterbury had initiated it, and the province was publicly criticised for taking a player earmarked for Auckland.

Prop at Pau, 1.79m and 123kg, and 34 years old.

The move worked for both of them. He joined the Canterbury academy in 2012, made his provincial debut against Auckland in August 2014, and won three consecutive national titles with them, starting the finals of 2016 and 2017 against Tasman.

Super Rugby was harder. With no offer from the Crusaders he signed for the Chiefs and started eight of twenty-seven matches across two seasons behind Ben Tameifuna and Kane Hames. The Highlanders took him in 2017 and used him properly, first for his scrummaging and then for his work in the loose, and he reached a Trans-Tasman final with them in 2021.

France came that June. Pau have extended him four times since, most recently to 2026 with a further option.

Tonga capped him at thirty, against Fiji in Suva in July 2022. He was left out of the 2023 World Cup squad and called up mid-tournament when Feao Fotuaika was injured, playing once, against Romania.

Three consecutive provincial titles with Canterbury is the line on the record that carries most weight, because that competition in those years was as strong a domestic forward environment as the game had. He started two of the three finals.

At 1.79m he is short even for a tighthead, which at scrum time is the point of him, and he is in his sixth season in the Top 14.