Southland’s Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa has been named in the All Blacks. Photo: DEBBIE FAHEY

They are a pretty proud bunch at Rugby Southland HQ at the moment – and rightly so.

One of their own, Semisi Tupou-Ta’eiloa, took the first flight out of Invercargill this morning before being officially unveiled as an All Black bolter in the 44-man squad to tour South Africa.

The 22-year-old Southland Stags No 8’s rise from club rugby to the All Blacks has been a remarkably quick and intriguing one.

When in July 2024 he helped his club team in Southland, Star, win a Galbraith Shield title, never could he have imagined that, close to two years to the day, he would have his name read out as an All Black.

Tupou Ta’eiloa was a block-busting No 8 during his time at Otago Boys’ High School and was initially picked up by Otago on a development contract.

At the time, then Rugby Southland’s Director of Rugby Matt Saunders felt Southland needed some power in its loose forwards and eyed up Tupou Ta’eiloa.

Southland made a significant play, effectively locking him in for four years from 2023, with Saunders feeling he was exactly what they needed.

“He’s a machine of a human and a great man, and a great leader, but he doesn’t actaully know that,” Saunders told The Tribune.

“He’s short, but who gives a shit of they are short; that never fazed me. You don’t need everyone in a lineout, so that was irrelevant to me because this guy’s an absolute weapon.

“He had some rough edges. He is such a competitor that sometimes he took it a bit too far and crossed the red line, but that is just a young fella who likes to compete. That’s what I saw.”

The lure for Tupou Ta’eiloa was the opportunity to play NPC earlier in Southland than he would have in Otago, where he was a long way off getting an opportunity to play.

He made his Stags debut in 2023 before making a significant impact in 2024.

After leading Star to a Galbraith Shield club rugby title that year, he produced a massive NPC campaign with the Stags.

Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa and his Dad after helping Star win the Galbraith Shield in Southland premier club rugby in 2024. Photo: DEBBIE FAHEY

At the time, Saunders pleaded for a Super Rugby team – including the Highlanders – to give the young No 8 a shot, but there was no interest at that time.

Southland thought outside the square.

They paid for Tupou Ta’eiloa to spend some time training with Moana Pasifika, knowing he just needed an opportunity.

That was turned out to be correct, it was the opportunity Tupou Ta’eiloa needed as he quickly emerged as a Super Rugby star in 2025 before backing it up with another massive campaign in 2026.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Tupou Ta’eiloa messaged Saunders on Sunday, thankful for the role he has played in first giving him a chance in Southland and then with Moana Pasifika.

“All I did was open up a couple of doors by getting him down [to Southland] and getting him up [to Moana Pasifika], and he did everything else,” Saunders said.

“He’s snuck in this door now, and I would say the same thing will happen; they will love him [in the All Blacks].”

There are probably a few red faces at the moment from those who Saunders tried to convince they needed to give Tupou Ta’eiloa a shot at Super Rugby level, but failed to do so.

“No Super team wanting him was baffling. I still struggle to understand how they couldn’t see it,” Saunders said.

Rugby Southland CEO Hua Tamariki said everyone was proud of Tupou Ta’eiloa’s progression to the All Blacks.

“As an adopted Southlander, and proud Stag, Semisi has inspired our organisation and community through his character, determination, and resilience, and we are incredibly excited, yet not surprised to see his talent and promise recognised at the highest level.”

“He’s toiled away, and he has setbacks in terms of not being wanted, or felt the love. He has worked bloody hard and proven everyone wrong, his doubters anyway.”

Tamariki said Rugby Soutland’s role in Tupou Ta’eloa’s rise to the All Blacks was just a small part, but he was also proud that they, and in particular Saunders, had pushed Tupou Ta’eiloa’s case hard in 2025 to get him a Super Rugby chance.

The other option would have seen Tupou Ta’eiloa running around Southland’s club rugby fields again last year.

“We have always believed in his potential. We were a little bit frustrated that he wasn’t getting any bites, particularly from the Highlanders, knowing he had that potential.

“You know you have got a player that, in your view, is essentially a Super Rugby player and he is not getting an opportunity. So that was driven by Matt [Saunders], and that was how we approached it.”

Speaking to The Tribune last year about his rapid rise, Tupou Ta’eiloa was thankful that Southland pushed for that opportunity with Moana Pasifika.

“Southland wanted me fit and ready, and I think Matt [Saunders] is a big believer [in me].

“But with everything happening so fast, I didn’t think it was going to happen like this.”

In the space of two years, he has gone from club rugby player with no Super Rugby interest to an All Black.