Kieron Fonotia signs with Ospreys
Kieron Fonotia, 28, worked as a tiler until he earned professional contracts with the Crusaders and Tasman. He has signed a two-year deal with Welsh club Ospreys.
Kieron Fonotia only needs to slap an All Black in the ribs to get some inside oil about Swansea.
Swansea, about an hour's drive down the motorway from the Welsh capital of Cardiff, will soon be Fonotia's new home. The midfielder has signed a two-year deal with the Ospreys club, which is subject to a work permit, but won't join them until he has fulfilled his obligations with the the Crusaders and Tasman.
The All Blacks lodged themselves in Swansea before their World Cup quarterfinal against France last year, and travelled to the beaches around the Mumbles area in their spare time.
They probably didn't indulge in the nightlife - and the CBD is a sight when the students invade the inner-city bars for the mid-week parties - but Fonotia will have plenty of time to ask those All Blacks in the Crusaders squad about their experiences before he leaves for Wales.
At 28 years he said the time was right to get out of New Zealand, and no-one could begrudge him the move.
Fonotia has had to earn his contracts, whether they be with Tasman, the Crusaders or Ospreys.
A tiler by trade, he played for his New Brighton club every weekend until Tasman offered a modest deal in 2011. He has been with the Crusaders for the last four seasons, initially joining them as a member of the wider training group.
Fonotia can play both midfield positions and was on the right wing when the Crusaders were pipped 33-32 in the Super Rugby final against the Waratahs in 2014.
In an age where talented players are often fast-tracked through top rugby schools and academies, Fonotia proved a contradiction. He played for New Brighton with the rest of the weekend warriors, fitting in trainings around his working hours.
"I sort of feel I have done it the opposite way, or the hard way. I am just pretty pumped by the way it has all ended up."
His message to those players who might think their chances of earning a contract were numbered was simple: "Just don't ever give up. You don't know what is around the corner.
"I was on the tools, working on tiles and then next thing I got a call from Tasman. Then I got an opportunity to play for a team (the Crusaders) I have always dreamed of playing for. You never know how close you are."
Fonotia has made 24 appearances for the Crusaders and 54 for Tasman.
There have been sacrifices. When he shifted to Nelson he made a commitment to limit his intake of alcohol.
"When I first got my contract with Tasman I sort of dedicated a year of trying to be a professional rugby player, and not boozing up as much. Not working as much, I was living off less money but it all worked out."
It's a good thing Fonotia didn't decide to leave after last year's national provincial championship, because injuries to Ryan Crotty and Robbie Fruean have left the Crusaders short of midfielders.
Fonotia started at second five-eighth, with Sean Wainui at centre in the 27-21 loss to the Chiefs last weekend. The partnership is likely to be retained for the match against the Blues on Friday night.
He also has little desire to rush back into the working life on building sites. "My girlfriend has just bought a house and I am pretty sure she will want me to get the old tools out. I am not too keen in getting on them - but when I have to do, I have got to do it," he laughed.
