Tuipulotu’s grandmother his biggest fan after picking Scotland over Australia

If Sione Tuipulotu runs out against the Wallabies at Murrayfield on the weekend, there’ll be a proud grandmother in Melbourne with a thick Scottish accent cheering him on in the middle of the night.

Tuipulotu is the former Junior Wallaby and Melbourne Rebels representative who has now pledged his allegiance to Scotland, having made his Test debut on the weekend against Tonga, the country of his father’s birth.

The 24-year-old grew up in Victoria and dreamed of playing for the Wallabies but could have qualified for another three countries. Tuipulotu’s father, Fohe, is Tongan, while his mother, Angelina, was born to Scottish and Italian parents who built a new life in Frankston, in Melbourne’s south-east.

Tuipulotu’s maternal grandmother, Jaqueline ‘Anne’ Thomson, hasn’t been an avid rugby fan in years gone by but ever since her son took up a professional contact in Glasgow – a 40-minute drive from Greenock where she was born – the outspoken 75-year-old is now infatuated with the game they play in heaven.

Thomson was particularly chuffed that commentators had given her a mention during the weekend’s Test coverage as her grandson took the field at outside-centre on debut in Scotland’s 60-14 win.

“She got up and watched it,” Fohe Tuipulotu told the Herald. “She was probably the proudest person, more than us. She knows Sione is representing her. All the people there were talking about her constantly during the game. She liked hearing that. She’s becoming quite the rugby fan at the moment.

Former Melbourne Rebels player Sione Tuipulotu with his Scottish grandmother Jaqueline ‘Anne’ Thomson.

“She’s still got a very thick Scottish accent. She’s a proud grandmother and since Sione has gone to Scotland she is trying to watch every game. She is always ringing us to find out everything about the games.

“It was a very special day. We knew he qualified for them but it was never in our mind and probably even his [to play for Scotland]. He grew up here and played junior rugby here and did well in the Australian pathways. We’re proud of his journey.”

In an interview with RugbyPass earlier this year, Tuipulotu opened up on his Scottish grandmother’s influence.

“Everyone thinks we got the worst hidings from our Tongan side, but it was actually from our grandma,” Tuipulotu told RugbyPass. “When she’s angry, she’s angry. She’s got a bit of a reputation at family gatherings. She has still got her full accent and stands out in our family as a bit of a cult figure.”

Sione Tuipulotu celebrates a try in Scotland’s victory over Tonga last weekend.Credit: Getty

Fohe Tuipulotu never missed his son’s matches, driving “miles and miles in my red car” to rugby fields across Victoria.

He worked two jobs – unloading containers in a warehouse, as well as setting up a security company where he worked the door at nightclubs – in a bid to give his son the best chance of a professional career.

“I made a decision that I was going to find a way that I could still earn a living but give an opportunity with my time to be free whenever he travels with rugby,” Tuipulotu snr said. “My whole goal was to support him to get him to his dream. I think he knew what he wanted to do from 12 years of age. He did say at the time he wanted to play for Australia.”

Tuipulotu was the Rebels’ first locally bred player to graduate to Super Rugby, having played three years of Australian U20s. He faced Scotland in a match in 2016.

Sione Tuipulotu with his father Fohe and mother Angelina.

After 11 appearances for the Rebels from 2016 to 2019, Tuipulotu left for a stint in Japan before the Scottish Rugby Union asked if he’d be interested to pledge his allegiance.

“He’s a quality guy and player,” said Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson. “He was someone who had great ability and potential. He had a couple of injuries and he was sitting behind [Reece] Hodge, Billy Meakes and Tom English. There was no doubt he was going to have a long professional career.

“At the end of 2019 the bright lights of Japan came calling. He left on good terms. Everyone in the community and club was really proud of him and it’s great to see him earn international representation.”

Tuipulotu is no guarantee to play against the Wallabies this Sunday (Monday AEDT) but his father knows how big a deal it would be for him to earn another Test cap.

“It will be massive for him to play against Australia,” Tuipulotu snr said. “He’s saying he’d love to play against Australia in that game. It’s going to be a tough call for the coaches. If he ends up playing it will be massive for him and us.”

Wallabies name replacements for McMahon and Kerevi

Duncan Pa’aiaia and Colby Fainga’a have been added to Australia’s squad for the Scotland Test.

The Wallabies were forced to bring in replacements after Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Sean McMahon all pulled out of the European tour to return to their Japanese franchises.

Noah Lolesio has since arrived in the UK from Canberra after initially being overlooked for the squad, while France-based Wallabies veteran Kurtley Beale was called up to the squad.

The Wallabies announced on Tuesday evening that Paia’aua (Toulon) and Fainga’a (Lyon) had been called in as extra cover. Both are yet to make their Test debuts.

Fellow France-based players Will Skelton, Rory Arnold and Tolu Latu have all linked up with the Wallabies following their club commitments.

Australia play Scotland, England and Wales on their end-of-year tour.

Former Brumbies back picked up by Ireland

Meanwhile, an 11th-hour call from Rugby Australia wasn’t enough to dissuade former Brumbies winger Mack Hansen from accepting a call-up by Ireland.

Hansen, 23, was called into the Ireland training set-up by coach Andy Farrell on Monday after impressing national selectors since joining Andy Friend’s Connacht earlier this year. The Canberra utility has scored four tries in just five games for the Irish province.

Hansen qualified for Ireland through his Cork-born mother Diana and joined Ireland this week to train ahead of their Test against Japan, where he will provide back-three cover.

Hansen played 14 Super games for the Brumbies since debuting in 2019 and was never seen as close to a call-up for the Wallabies, where Dave Rennie has already lined up a long queue of wingers in Marika Koroibete, Andrew Kellaway, Filipo Daugunu, Suliasi Vunivalu and Brumbies teammates Tom Wright and Andy Muirhead.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said RA head of rugby Scott Johnson had spoken to Hansen recently when it emerged he was being looked at as a potential Ireland player.

But Hansen ultimately elected to accept the invitation to train with the Irish squad, and while he won’t be officially captured until he wins a Test cap, the Canberran appears to be happy to commit his future to green over gold.

Hansen emerged as a player of potential with the Australian under 20s in 2018, and through the NRC with Canberra Vikings, Hansen made his Super Rugby debut in 2019.

Speaking earlier in the year, Hansen said he was open to playing for Ireland.

“If I can keep playing well, all the other stuff will take care of itself,” he told the 42 website. “Playing for Ireland is definitely something I’d be interested in, it would be a really cool experience and I could see myself being here for a while if it came to that option.”

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