David Fifita has expressed his pride at being able to pull on the Tonga jersey after enjoying a debut to remember. The powerful back-rower scored a hat-trick against on Friday, marking the beginning of his international career with a bang.
Fifita, who has taken the NRL by storm since his debut, is part of a star-studded Tongan side tipped to go well in the World Cup. Born in Brisbane, he is one of several stars to turn their back on Australia to pay tribute to their family heritage.
"To represent my heritage, I'm really excited for the up and coming weeks with these boys," he said. "I love this group and can't wait to make many more memories.
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"I'm proud to represent my dad's side. They'll be back home watching and it was good to blow the cobwebs out. I'm looking forward to the coming week. It's my first World Cup, I'm really excited to be part of this group. It's a special group, I'm excited to be a part of it and make memories along the way.
"All the boys, we're a good squad with good coaching staff. It's good to be part of this. We made history a few years ago and to now be part of it with some mates and a few cousins, it's good. I'm looking forward to it."
Explaining why it means so much to represent Tonga, he said: "It comes back to your culture and heritage. Everyone has a choice but it means a lot more to pull on this jersey. It's the first time I've been part of this and I'm enjoying it."
He's already taken to life in the UK, having acquired a taste for the city of Leeds "For myself, I love Leeds! We've been in Leeds, we're off to St Helens now but it's a nice place, it's nice and fresh, all good."
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