Up on Christ Tshiunza’s bedroom wall, discreetly hidden away from prying eyes, is a list. One of the best prospects in world rugby has always written down his long-term goals but what separates him from his peers is how many he has already ticked off. “It brings me great joy that I’ve achieved everything I’ve wanted to achieve so far,” he murmurs. “Not a lot of people my age can say that.”
A full cap for Wales while still in his teens, a professional contract with one of England’s premier clubs and – his final exams at Exeter University permitting – a degree in sports science would be an impressive haul on its own. None of it, though, is remotely as uplifting as his remarkable journey to this point, an odyssey to give soaring hope to anyone growing up beyond rugby’s traditional margins.
