medium sizeanu Tuilagi arrived in the UK initially thinking he was just taking a short break to visit his brothers, but now 20 years later he has a hint of a northern accent in his voice after spending time in this part of the world A long vacation is finally coming to an end.
When Tuilagi’s parents returned to Samoa, 12-year-old Manu chose to stay with his siblings. While his brother Freddie was playing for the then Cardiff Blues, the boy walked into Ramney RFC to kill time before leaving England to become one of English rugby’s greatest players of the past decade or so. One of the players. It’s been a journey, with highs, lows, and a controversy or two.
It’s perhaps fitting that the 32-year-old will be the center of attention in his final home game in English rugby on Friday night, when Sale take on the Leicester club synonymous with the Tuilagi family. Tuilagi’s rugby adventure will continue next year in Bayonne, France, but it feels as though it’s the end of an era.
“I was very excited to learn that this would be Sale’s last home game,” he admitted. “I love it here. Looking back now, I just think, wow. It’s been a journey. What are the odds that my last game here is against Leicester City? Playing against a club I’ve played for so long makes it even more… special.
Twenty years on Tuilagi remember how it all started. “I’ve never been on so many planes,” he said with a smile. “There were long flights and a lot of walking and when we got here it was winter so it was cold but I loved it. I thought we were just here for a holiday. Mum and dad went back but my brother Vae and I stayed Here it is: And for a long time I didn’t actually know it until I was almost deported It was a wonderful life.
Tuilagi recalled that one of the defining moments of his career came in 2010, when he was deported for arriving six years earlier on a holiday visa and staying illegally. After a successful appeal, he was granted permission to remain in the UK indefinitely and within a year he made his first appearance for the England national team.
Tuilagi admits he has had his share of rocky moments. David Cameron’s infamous “bunny ears” prank in 2013, and England’s disastrous crossing incident at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, just to name a few. “I’d be thinking, ah, you idiot, Manu, why did you do that? But you’ve done it and that’s life. It’s in the past. It’s always there, so there’s no need to beat yourself up about it.
Later, after numerous comebacks and sixty caps for England, he knew that with a move to Bayonne, his days with the national team were effectively over. Has he accepted it? “That’s life, man,” he said. “You always get what you want, but the big guys have different plans. I was really happy to watch, especially after we finished the Six Nations.
His England career may be over, but if the call came from the country of his birth, would he consider raising his hand for Samoa at the next World Cup in 2027? “I’d be too old, man,” he said with a laugh. “Yeah, I’ll be too old. I’ll be 45 by then – my passport is real anyway!
For now, he will be spending his new life in France, and for someone as laid-back as Tuilagi, it’s perhaps unsurprising that he hasn’t visited Bayonne yet. “My brother is about three hours away,” he said of former Perpignan player Henry. “I think it would be nice. It would be nice to see him a little bit more, but it would be a nice place and it would be a good experience not only for me but for my family.
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“It’s going to be something different, something new, which is exciting. I think the unknown is probably the best thing, I don’t know what it’s going to be like when I go there, play there, live there. It thinks it’s going to be different, so I’m looking forward to it.
The chances of Tuilagi reaching another Premier League final in England are slim. Sale were beaten by Saracens at Twickenham last year but to move into the top four next month they need to win their remaining two games and hope other results will follow. Regardless of the outcome, he will look back on his time in the North in a positive light.
“I love the North. I can’t believe I’ve been here four years. I definitely won’t miss the weather, that’s for sure. But I will miss the people. The time we spent together is great to look back on and think about all of that Memories. I will miss this place.
He learned at least one thing from his mistake: His application for a lifetime visa in France was submitted. But how does he want people to remember him? “It really doesn’t matter to me. What matters is how my family remembers me and who I am. I’m just a guy who plays a little bit of rugby now and then.
