Hungry Tongans stay humble [1]
Saturday, September 8, 2007 - 18:37. Updated on Friday, June 13, 2014 - 19:45.
The Tongan team may have stunned pub staff in London recently with their enormous appetites, but the Pacific Islanders remain very humble, and deeply religious people.
Tonga's players and management, who have twice-daily religious gatherings, stunned pub staff at a local establishment in England when they devoured a massive buffet lunch including 30 chickens - then wanted more. The feast, which happened when they were invited to the establishment - the Fusion Inn in Lymington, Hants, - by former Tongan captain Isi Tui Vai. The latter is a co-owner of the pub.
The 30 players and 15 staff ate the 30 chickens, 60lbs (27kg) of roast lamb, 60lbs (27kg) of beef fillet, 30lbs (13.5kg) of pasta and 30lbs (13.5kg) of potato salad - washed down with 40 litres of orange juice.
After the feast pub bosses had to send out for ...£25 ($48) worth of chips because the team were still hungry.
The Tongans were preparing for the World Cup in France, where they will open their campaign against the United States in Montpellier on Wednesday, when they were invited to the feast by Vai.
According to the Daily Mirror, pub manager Shannon Van Dreven said: "The amount of food they ate was amazing. I couldn't believe it.
"Normally, it would have fed twice the number of people. When all the players moved in to fill their plates at the same time the room went dark - it was like a total eclipse of the sun.
"I've never seen so many enormous men in the same place. I'm 6ft 1in [185cm], but these guys made me feel tiny. They all had arms as thick as my thighs.
"We had to send out to the kitchen for extra servings on five occasions. The chef was already panicking before they requested chips as well as the spread we had laid on."
Managers called in two extra chefs and three waiters to cope with the visit by the squad, who had been training in Bournemouth.
Despite their healthy appetites, the Tongans have kept their feet firmly planted on the ground since their arrival in France this week.
Each morning and evening, on the training field and before games, the squad and team officials pray, read the bible and sing together.
Watching a group of huge, chiseled athletes form a huddle to peacefully sing a hymn isn't what you might expect for a team famous for their physical approach to the game.
But with a national slogan that reads 'God and Tonga are my inheritance' and a prayer-turned-national anthem called 'O mighty God', it's no surprise that religion plays a big role in the team's life.
"Faith means a lot to the players" says Tonga team manager Angus Naupoto. "Every day, we read three Bible passages, sing hymns and pray. It bonds them together and reminds them of where they have come from."
"It's something we grew up with and have always done," adds flanker Hale T-Pole. "We find an inner strength from our Christian faith."
The players do not pray for victory however.
"We ask God for protection from injuries and help to do the best that we can," says Soane Havea, himself a former altar boy back home in Tonga. - planet-rugby.com