‘It’s a big weight off my shoulders’: Tupou relieved to finally seal move to Tahs

Taniela Tupou can finally relax. A one-year deal to join the Waratahs has finally been signed, and the giant prop will move to Sydney for next year’s Super Rugby season.

In his first two games for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, against Wales last month, Tupou’s task was clear. For 40 minutes, he was tasked to scrum explosively and carry the ball with spite – and he carried out those instructions to the letter.

But until last week, his future in Australian rugby was far more opaque. After the demise of the Melbourne Rebels, Tupou needed to find a club for the final year of his contract with Rugby Australia.

Tupou admitted his future was a hot topic in Wallabies camp, and he was unable to answer his teammates’ questions about his next destination.

“I didn’t know where I was going to go,” Tupou said. “It’s a big weight off my shoulders, knowing where I am going. Now I can start packing my stuff. I know what I need to do, and can start to look for places in Sydney.”

Tupou admitted he was initially tempted by the prospect of a return to the Reds, who he joined straight from school and where he still has close friendships with playing and coaching staff.

Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou has signed for the Waratahs on a one-year deal.Credit: Brendan Hertel/RugbyAU Media.

But the Reds’ depth in the tighthead prop department, including fellow Wallaby Zane Nonggorr and Samoa international and former All Black Jeff Toomaga-Allen, prompted Tupou to look towards opportunities in NSW.

“I wanted to see if there was a chance to go back to the Reds,” Tupou said. “[But] they’ve got Zane Nonggorr, who has just signed, and there’s another young [tighthead] prop there too, so there’s no point in going back there. They’ve got those guys. I think they played really good this year, but I’m really happy [with my decision].”

Tupou’s eventual decision to put pen to paper with the Waratahs was heavily influenced by two strong advocates for the club: former Fiji head coach Simon Raiwalui, who was recently hired as NSW’s general manager; and Wallabies teammate Angus Bell, a close friend.

“Before the Wallabies, we built this close relationship [with Raiwalui],” Tupou said. “We had a good chat, and he pretty much told me they were keen and some of the things he’s looking to build with the club and what he wants to achieve.

Taniela Tupou of the Wallabies celebrates a try against Wales in JulyCredit: Getty Images

“He’s such a great fella. He was a good coach, and now he’s running the show there [at the Waratahs].”

Tupou’s friendship with Bell grew after the pair spent extensive periods rehabbing injuries before the World Cup in France, and the opportunity to create a potentially world-class front row together in club rugby was an opportunity that was ultimately too hard to turn down.

“He’s been to my place, I’ve been to his place and then our friendship just got closer,” Tupou said. “Since the news came out [of the Rebels shutting down], every time I speak to him, he’s been like, ‘you’ve got to come here’.”

Tupou will start his journey at NSW with two familiar faces from the Wallabies and the Rebels in the shape of winger Darby Lancaster and Rob Leota, who have also signed with the Waratahs.

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