Anthony Tailua is a proud young man. Having been crowned the Most Valuable Player (M.V.P) during the 27th Vailima Marist Sevens last weekend, he should be.
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The star from Fasit’o-uta and Togafu’afu’a played a key role in Marist St. Joseph’s impressive form at Lotopa, which eventually saw them topple Moata’a to secure the title.
For the soft-spoken Tailua, last weekend was just another day at the office. For such a young man, he has played rugby at the highest level in this part of the world.
The 26-year-old has played for Canterbury in New Zealand.
But it is Marist and Samoa where his heart is.
And so last weekend, Tailua and his Marist teammates hoisted the coveted Vailima Trophy.
After all his successes though, it is amazing to think that Tailua has only ever played two legs of the the World Rugby Sevens Series for the national team. That was in 2013.
What’s even harder to believe is that merely hours after watching this year’s Marist Sevens, Tailua was not even worthy of being named in the Manu Samoa Sevens training squad.
Yesterday, Tailua said he was not bitter.
“I will leave it up to the man above,” was his simple response when he was asked by the Samoa Observer.
Tailua was born in Samoa to parents Tina and Feveti Lui Tailua.
He attended Leulumoega College in 2004 and went to school in New Zealand from 2005 to 2008 at Aranui College.
But Tailua’s heart has always been in Samoa.
“I have come back for three years in a row trying to make the Manu Sevens team in 2013, 2014, and 2015,” he said.
“I have always wished to play here in my home country and not back in New Zealand and this year I thought I did enough to prove that.
“I am looking forward to coming back to Samoa in the future but for now, it’s time for me and my family to go and see what New Zealand would have for me in the future.”
To the struggling Manu Samoa Sevens, Tailua wished them all the best.
“Go the Manu!” he said. “I will never forget my roots and where I started from especially the Marist club for giving me a chance to play.”
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