Blues lock Ray Tatafu may be quietly spoken off the rugby pitch, but Rugby Southland officials are hoping he will have a big impact on it during his rookie season with the Stags in 2018.

The 23-year-old second rower stands 197cm and 117kg and has been a hulking presence in a tightly-contested Galbraith Shield competition this year.

Stags coach Dave Hewett has been an admirer of the former Auckland academy and Auckland B player.

“He’s kicked on from last year to demand a contract,” Hewett said.

“There’s an opportunity to work his way into the starting group. We’ve got three weeks of preseason when the club season is over and that will be where guys get a chance to prove themselves on the playing and training field around character and desire to improve and Ray’s got just as much chance as anyone else.”

Tatafu possesses the raw material to make an impression on the Mitre 10 Cup this year, Hewett said.

“We’ll look to increase his skill set and get him better and better as we get closer to the season because he certainly brings the enthusiasm and the desire to do it, we just have to make sure that he’s accurate in everything that he does,” he said.

“He’s played really well at club level this year. Unfortunately, he’s had a bit of a concussion, but he’s come back from that and he’s shown some really good performances. He’s a big man and he makes his presence felt around the field.”

Tatafu shifted south last year with hopes of breaking into the Southland team and spent several weeks training alongside the Stags despite not getting a chance to play in the Mitre 10 Cup.

“I got here quite late last year and my mindset was really just to get out of Auckland, (but) I really cracked into it this year,” Tatafu said.

Many of the players that Tatafu grew up with in Auckland have gone onto play Mitre 10 Cup for provinces around the country, and several have gone onto play at Super Rugby level.

“I’ve been working towards this my whole life,” he said.

“I guess the feeling will really kick in when I pull on the jersey for the first time. The focus is on getting some game time.”

It will also be a big moment for Tatafu’s extended family, who haven’t seen much of him since he decided to try his luck in the deep south.

He’s had a couple of trips back to Auckland since last year, but found the pace of life a bit too hectic for his new tastes.

“My family have been really supportive since I came down here,” Tatafu said.

“They don’t have Sky and when I told them that I’d signed they said they will have to sign up to Sky now. Hopefully some of them will be able to come down and watch me during the season as well and find out what Invercargill is like.”

Article added: Thursday 05 July 2018