By Pesi Fonua

Disappointed but not discouraged was the mixed feeling of the Tongan Rugby star, Tevita Vaikona (32) when he was not selected for the 'Ikale Tahi 2007 World Cup team to play in France during September and October.

Tevita, who now lives in Paris, returned to France last week after two weeks in Tonga waiting and hoping that he would be selected. But before he left he offered to assist the the Tonga Rugby Union team once they get to France.

A professional rugby player Tevita's 13-year career in the UK has seen him voted the best League winger in the World before changing codes to Union. Tevita was also named Players' Player of the Season during his first year at Saracens in 2004, playing at the top level of domestic rugby union in England, and making a name for himself as a powerful winger.

The 6ft 2ins Tevita has just signed a two-year contract with a French outfit, Racing Metro, Paris where he will be playing in the coming spring.

Tevita is passionate about his rugby and what he has achieved and gained from rugby and he sincerely wants to make a contribution to the development of Tongan rugby. He believes that the world of rugby has a lot more to offer Tongan youth than just playing rugby.

Career opportunities

Over the years Tevita has taken a number of local players overseas, secured them contracts and given them the opportunity to find a career. "I am trying to take two young guys with me this time," said Tevita who is philosophical about his approach. "I am not taking the most talented players, I take players from families who need help.

"Teaching Tongans to play rugby is the easy part, the hard part is teaching them how to use their time when they are not playing rugby. I tell you, I have walked through with these young guys, sometimes for three years, before they settled down." Tevita said that his message for them is to learn a career, a trade, "be a brick-layer, truck driver or something that you can do when you are not or no longer can play rugby."

Tevita is right behind the idea of the Tonga Rugby Union to select only local players to represent Tonga overseas, but he disagrees with the second part of the scheme, "so that they can get contracts to play for overseas clubs."

Tevita who is currently a professional rugby player in Europe, the most lucrative market for rugby players in the world, said that Tonga needs to work on its reputation. "The problem is our market value is the lowest from the Pacific. We are the cheapest. So the next question why?

"Because our reputation is gradually diminishing. Our national team, the 'Ikale Tahi is our international image. Our value depends on how well is our national team."

Tevita believes that when the 'Ikale Tahi play international test matches Tonga should select only its best players because a winning 'Ikale Tahi will increase the market value of Tongan rugby players. "That is why New Zealand, Australia and South Africa are the most expensive, because they dominate the rugby world. All of a sudden the market value of rugby players in those countries went up.

"If in the market there is a New Zealander, an Australian and a Tongan, what will be the first choice for the club. If we put it the other way around, which one they will go for last? So really our national team has to be doing well in order to be able to market Tongan players. So how do we make our national team do well? That is the real question," he said.

"We have to select our best players. So that is why if you want Tongan players to play professional rugby overseas, the national team has to be seen to be doing well. For them to do well we have to go for our best players. If there are good local players, go for them, but if I am any good I don't think I will be playing locally, would you?"

Top overseas players

Tevita believes that it is possible for Tonga to call back some of its top overseas players to represent Tonga, and he has a formula.

"Whenever a Tongan player signs a contract with a club, a Tongan representative must be present. So there are three people on the table: my agent, the club's rep. and a Tongan rep. Say the club and my agent agree for a contract for $100,000 Euros, then the Tongan rep will ask for a private talk with my agent, and agree for the club to pay straight to my agent $70,000 Euros and the other $30,000 to Tonga. Now when the time comes for me tol be called on to come and play for Tonga that's when they pay me the other $30,000 Euros.

"The problem now is that when Tonga call on their best players, their clubs will say, if you go and play for Tonga, no pay. Lesley Vainikolo now a super star in the UK would love to play for Tonga, but he can't the club would not let him go and Tonga doesn't seem to have the kind of money to pay him.

"So basically that is what I want to say, to just break down what is really happening in the professional rugby world. If the intention is to encourage our boys to go and play professional rugby overseas, those are some of the questions that we have to find answers for.

Honest business

"Rugby has to be run by honest people, and operated as a business," he said.

With regards to Pacific Rugby, Tevita appreciates what Fiji has done with their seven-a-side team. "They have done great with the sevens, and the government, the business community and the whole country gives them their support. I have been to the most obscure places in Europe, where they asked, 'Where are you from?' 'Tonga, uh, Africa?' 'No, Pacific, near Fiji.' 'Oh, Fiji Sevens, those guys were great!' People forget all about the coups in Fiji because of the success in Seven-a-side rugby. The Samoans are also doing well in the Sevens, and they also have a well structured 15 outfit."

Tonga High School

Tevita's rugby history is unusual for a Tongan rugby player. After attending Tonga High School during the late 1980's he was sent on a government scholarship to study accountancy at Lincoln University, Christchurch. "We were just playing social rugby, League of course, you have to be decent to play union. Then somebody came around and said 'do you want to play professional Rugby League?' I was 19 then, and from Tonga High, of course, I did not know that I could play rugby.

From then on everything happened so fast for Tevita, and before he realised what he was up to he was in Hull, UK. "During the first six months, I cried. Physically I did not have the build, but I know hard work, and I believe in the teaching of the Big Book that you only reap what you sow."

Tevita played all his rugby, professionally in the UK with the Bradford Bulls from 1994 to 2004. He then changed codes and start playing rugby union for Saracens a premiership club.

Why the change? "There was nothing else there to win," said Tevita who was a rugby league superstar when he changed to Union. He was ready to come back home, go to 'Uiha and do some fishing, but Saracens invited to come and tryout, saying "if I didn't like it I could just leave." After one year he was the player of the year for the club, he then stayed on for another two years.

In 2004 he got married and also became a qualified accountant. They now have two sons and when the contract for the Racing Metro came up he and his wife were ready for a change from London. "The Metro is not one of the strong teams in France but, this year someone came up with a few millions and they want to build up the club, so they have signed a number of international players."

Tevita said he would like to get more involved in the Tongan rugby in the coming years.