Sisilia Tuipulotu is just 18 years old but already has a remarkable rugby story to tell.
Not allowed to play rugby as a child, the Wales semi-professional second-row - cousin to world-class No. 8 Taulupe Faletau, Scarlets talent Carwyn Tuipulotu and England's Vunipola brothers - is hoping to make her international debut in the Women's Six Nations this month just two years after taking up the sport.
The psychology university student's rugby potential has been dubbed "unbelievable" by Wales head coach Ioan Cunningham, who believes the lock's "potential to develop physically and technically is off the scale" now she's part of the Welsh Rugby Union's new performance programme, which boasts 12 full-time pros and 11 part-time players on retainer deals.
But let's go back to where all good stories are born, at the beginning, and allow Sisilia to tell us how she's got to the brink of a Wales debut.
"Growing up, my family didn’t allow me to play rugby because they thought that I would get hurt," the teenager reveals during a Zoom interview which sees the university student sat in her halls accommodation with pictures of her beloved family adorning her wall.
"Rugby has always been big in my family, just playing touch and passing the ball around with my brothers and cousins. My dad [Sione] played for Tonga and Newport and my cousin Carwyn plays for Scarlets.
"But I had never given it a thought for me to try until two years ago when I started at Hereford Sixth Form College and a coach approached me to start playing rugby. I thought ‘why not? My brothers are doing it so why can’t I?'"
With an infectious and confident laugh, the Newport-born forward adds: "I think I can do whatever my brothers can do, maybe even better than them!"
It turns out she was due a change of sport, as netball wasn't quite working out as she was playing with an over-aggressive style!
"Because netball’s a non-contact sport, I’d be blown up for contact, I’d be blown up for obstruction, whatever it is… so I just thought I’ll give another sport a go!" she explains.
"To start off with, my family weren’t too pleased with my decision but as I progressed, they’ve begun to accept my decision to play and right now they’re all fully on board."
Talk of her rugby talents soon made it onto the grapevine and reached Wales Women U18s coach and former Wales captain Liza Burgess, who was senior academy head coach at Hartpury at the time, leading to a meeting with Sisilia via her uncle Kati [Carwyn's father].
"Huge potential," Burgess tells us. "Just the fact she was Welsh, that was the first thing. I met with her and her uncle and she really liked the set-up at Gloucester-Hartpury. I’ve stayed in touch with her and her uncle. She’s an incredible athlete and she’s gone all the way and got a retainer contract. She’s definitely one to watch for the future."
Sisilia has been tearing up England's top women's rugby competition, Allianz Premier 15s, with her immense power, ball-carrying skills and work rate since making her Gloucester-Hartpury bow and has racked up six tries so far this season despite being relatively new to the league.
But there was some fresh talking around to do when it came to joining the club, which Sisilia plays for alongside studying at the University of Gloucestershire.
"At first, my family didn’t want me to play for a club in England!" the young Tuipulotu laughs. "They didn’t want me to end up playing for England! I was telling them my rugby would improve more if I joined the club.
"Birdy [Burgess] contacted my uncle and from there they allowed me to go and play for Gloucester. They’re all on board with the idea. A big thanks to Birdy for everything.”
Tuipulotu credits her family as a big influence on her success.
"Seeing how hard they work inspires me to push, to do whatever it takes, reach for my goals. They’ve always reached what they’ve put their heads to so why can’t I?
"My dad's always said to just be me. On that field, off that field, he’ll be proud. However I perform, whatever I do, he’ll still be there. The main thing is to be myself and play how I play."
As for Carwyn, he and Sisilia share feedback after games and share a bond more like siblings than cousins having lived together at one point as children at Eugene Cross Park's famous house - where Faletau's father Kuli once lived. It was once dubbed the Tongan Embassy, such was the volume of Wales-based players from the South Seas island who gathered there to socialise. You can read the remarkable story of that house here.
"He sees what I do well and sees what I could improve on and we feedback on each other, which really helps us both to improve our game," Sisilia says of No. 8 Carwyn.
As for their older cousin Taulupe, he has been a source of advice and tips since Sisilia's rugby journey began.
"When I first started, Toby got in contact to tell me a few tips, especially when I got the call-up last Six Nations [as a development player], just to keep working hard and little things to make my game better, just the same advice Carwyn would give me.
"I’m the type of person that if I do something wrong, especially in training, it’ll just stay in my head and it’ll just lead to me making more mistakes. But one of Toby's tips was to just forget about what I’ve done wrong.
"So if I knock the ball on, just forget about it and move on to the next thing because it’ll just drag you down if you think about it. You need to lift yourself up and know the next move is coming, just keep going."
As for Billy and Mako, she added: "Whenever they can, they do drop me a text once in a while."
When Wales boss Cunningham first worked with Sisilia, he was somewhat stunned by her power scores. According to Gloucester Rugby’s website, she stands at 175cm (5ft 9in) and weighs 113kg (17st 11lb)
"I remember when I first started doing bits with the team, we did some testing with them, and she tested. Her power scores are through the roof. I think she scored better than Carwyn, actually! Sisilia is so young but the impact she could make over the coming years is massive."
Sisilia was in a lecture when she noticed a missed call from Cunningham, who had been calling to offer her a contract.
"I was shocked but after the phone call, I cried and called my dad, and then my dad cried, too!"
"It feels amazing, especially given my age and how long I’ve been playing. There’s little things I learn from different players. I just learn from all of them.
"All of it, I’d just like to thank our Heavenly Father. My family’s really religious, God comes first before everything, we thank him for the opportunities that he’s given, especially to me and my brothers recently.
"It’s a lot to take in but I’m thankful for the opportunity and every chance I get."
The TikTok enthusiast - who is getting Wales' internationals roped into her videos - is already making gains in the WRU's performance programme, having put pen to paper on a retainer contract in early February, and recorded a new squat personal best of 120kg in the gym at the close of the month. Complete with PB ritual of ringing the gym bell, of course.
Wales flyer Jasmine Joyce takes up the tale: "Sisilia’s very quiet, getting used to being in the squad, she’s young, she’s new to rugby as well. We saw her get a PB so we were like ‘ring the bell, ring the bell!’ Everyone in the entire gym, there must have been about 25 of us there, and we’re all shouting!
"I don’t work closely with her because I don’t play in Gloucester with her but she’s a fantastic player, also very young so putting her in an environment like this is only going to increase her performance and durability."
Wales' players are used to lining up opposite each other as they all ply their club trade across the border, in between Welsh training, and Sisilia has certainly already left her mark with her team-mates.
"She’s a hard runner and when she’s got the ball, especially if you’re five metres out, she’s someone you’ve got to be worried about," fellow Wales second-row Natalia John says.
"In a [Bristol Bears v Gloucester-Hartpury] game, she picked to run at Snowy [Elinor Snowsill] and Keira [Bevan] and I was like ‘I’m going to have to step in here somewhere!’ One of the biggest forwards in the Gloucester pack running against our 9 and 10! I tried to tackle her and missed… and she scored a try!"
Her arrival at the Vale Resort has bumped scrum-half Bevan off DJ duties and seen Sisilia grow from a shy person - "if they talked to me, that’s when I’d talk to them" - to being confident to chat to "anyone and everyone", while Wales and Saracens forward Georgia Evans has dubbed Sisilia "the coolest person I've ever met".
So, how does she feel about on and off-field compliments and praise?
"I tend to listen to them because what they say encourages me and pushes me to keep going," Sisilia replies. "I do have the potential to be the best I can be. Who knows? Hopefully I’ll cap soon and improve from where I am right now.
"It’s all down to me to put my head down and work hard for it.
"Words can’t explain how much it would mean to get my first cap, everyone in my family would be so happy."
Judging by what we've seen so far, it's only a matter of time.
- The Women's Six Nations, which kicks off on March 26 a week after the men's tournament concludes, will be the first time Welsh fans will have a chance to see Wales' progress since historic contracts were introduced for the previously amateur side. Wales are first away to Ireland but tickets for their three home matches at Cardiff Arms Park - against Scotland on April 2, France on April 22 and Italy on April 30 - are on sale and priced at £10 for adults and £5 for children.
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