After a 115-year wait, another piece of ‘Australian’ history for the Lions

The proud father of Sione Tuipulotu said his family were “in tears” after hearing that the Melbourne-raised Scotland centre had been selected to start for the British and Irish Lions against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday.

Named in the Lions No.12 jersey, Tuipulotu will become the first Australian-raised player to play in a Test match for the Lions in 115 years, and the third ever, at Suncorp Stadium. The last to do it was the feted Tom Richards in 1910.

Lions coach Andy Farrell opted for a Scottish streak in a side dominated by Irishmen, with eight in the starting side and another three on the bench. Of the 11 in the 23, eight are from Irish club Leinster.

With the squad’s only Welshman, Jac Morgan, missing out on a spot, the Lions will not have a player from Wales in the Test team for the first time since the 1899 tour of Australia.

Tuipulotu, the former Junior Wallaby and Rebels player, won the battle for the inside centre role over Bundee Aki; capping a remarkable journey that began when the 28-year-old left Australia in 2019 to pursue a career in Japan, and then with Glasgow in Scotland.

Qualifying for Scotland via grandmother Jacqueline Thompson – his “Greenock Granny” who has become a minor celebrity in her own right – Tuipulotu debuted for the Scots in 2021 and last year became Scottish captain.

Sione Tuipulotu looks on during a British & Irish Lions training.Credit: Getty Images

After being selected in the Lions squad, he impressed in games against Argentina, the Western Force, NSW and the AUNZ side, and was given the nod to make history by becoming a “Test Lion” in Brisbane.

Fohe Tuipulotu said he’d been messaged by his son with the news, and he and his wife Angelina and youngest son Ottavio had plans to fly to Brisbane on Friday.

“It’s hard to find the words, it’s very emotional,” Fohe said, holding back tears.

“We always knew he would drive to the top, but we couldn’t have imagined it would be anything like this.

Sione Tuipulotu is presented with the Hopetoun Cup at Murrayfield by his grandmother Jaqueline Thomson.Credit: Getty Images

“We are so proud of him. His granny is very proud. Sione chose to take the path to represent her heritage, and she is his biggest supporter.

“It’s just so tough to find the words. The whole family has been in tears. Any parent will know the pride when their child achieves something, and Sione has put so much hard work into this, and made a lot of sacrifices. So we just feel very happy for him.”

There have been a handful of Australians to play for the Lions in midweek games, including Tom Court, Brent Cockbain and Nathan Hines, and Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham on the current tour.

Tuipulotu will join a much more exclusive club in achieving the higher echelon of being a “Test Lion”.

The last Australian to play for the British Lions in a Test was Richards in 1910 in South Africa. Richards had also played for the Wallabies and remains the only Australian-raised player to represent both. Englishman Blair Swannell did it first, but in reverse order.

The 2001 and 2013 Wallabies-Lions series played for the Tom Richards Cup, but this tour, the series MVP will win a medal in his name instead.

The first Australian to play for the British Lions was Alec Timms, who was also Victorian and also played for Scotland. Timms was a noted athlete from Geelong College who went to Edinburgh to study medicine, joined rugby clubs and was picked to play in 14 Tests for Scotland. He toured Australia and played three Tests for the British Lions on the 1899 tour.

Future British Lion Alec Timms in a school football team photo at Geelong College in 1890.Credit: Geelong College

Ian Smith was born in Melbourne and also played for the Lions in 1924, via Scotland, but he grew up in New Zealand and England.

Having stressed no Lions combinations would be selected based on their nationality, Lions coach Andy Farrell said the selection of Tuipulotu was based on his form on this tour.

“It isn’t just the combinations, it’s what’s happening off the bench as well and the impact that they can have at any given time,” Farrell said.

“I’ve said, and honestly said before, that there’s absolutely no doubt that Bundee can play with Huw [Jones] and he’s played with Sione as well.”

The selection will also see Tuipulotu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii renew acquaintances on Saturday, eight months after the pair had a heated clash in the Wallabies loss to Scotland in Edinburgh in November.

All nine matches of The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia are live & on demand on Stan Sport, with Wallabies Tests in 4K. All Test matches live and free on Channel 9 & 9Now.

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