Less will be known about New Zealand’s latest ‘Braveheart’, however, the Sititi who made his debut last summer, and finished the season astonishingly with both World Rugby’s Men’s Breakthrough Player of the Year and the All Blacks Player of the Year awards. That came despite knee surgery reducing his game-time, then this summer he had to sit out the All Blacks’ summer matches with France due to an ankle injury, and yet he already has 16 caps and now a Test try, off the bench at the weekend in the USA’s ‘Windy City’.
His father, the Samoan captain of 59 caps, Lemalu ‘Semo’ Sititi, was signed by former All Blacks assistant coach Tony Gilbert who was brought to the revived Border Reivers by Jim Telfer in 2002. He played alongside Gregor Townsend, Gary Armstrong and Doddie Weir in two seasons in Galashiels, had a year at Newcastle Falcons, and returned for another season with the Reivers in 2005-06.
The SRU at that time spent much of 2005 to 2007 signposting plans to close down the Reivers pro team again, due to lack of finance – it duly did so in 2007 – and Sititi was one of several players who left in 2006, taking up a lucrative contract with NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in Japan.
But Semo recalls Scotland as a special place for his burgeoning family.
A home away from home
“Wallace was actually born in Samoa but it should have been Scotland,” he says. “My wife, Rosalind ,went home to Samoa to look after her father, who was very ill. She was pregnant with our second child, and we did not mean for her to have the baby there, but she stayed in Samoa longer with her father, and then it was too close to the birth to fly.
“So, she stayed in Samoa and had Wallace there. I should have been there too. I was mad that I couldn’t be at his birth, but Tony [Gilbert] said I couldn’t go. He said to me: ‘Speaking as a father, I’d let you go, but speaking as your coach, I’m sorry, but I need you here’.
“It was the start of the Reivers, start of the season, and we had big European games coming, so I know what he is thinking, but I wanted to be in Samoa for my wife and son, so I was angry all that week. I even went to his home because I thought his wife, when she saw how much it meant to me, it might be a different story, but it didn’t change. I called my wife and told her the story, and she was really p***ed off.
“But she soon came home with our first son and we named him Wallace because the name would be a lasting memory of our time as a family in Scotland. I loved the movie ‘Braveheart’ and, at the Borders, Tony took the team one day to the William Wallace statue near the Tweed [a 31-feet high sandstone effigy at Bemersyde, ten miles from Galashiels]. He told us the history of Wallace and what he did, and why it was special for us to play in Scotland for the Reivers.
“So, when our first son came we were thinking of this. We thought William was quite common, so we chose Wallace. And when I see him now returning to Scotland, to play at Murrayfield, where I played for the Borders and for Samoa, it makes me very proud.”
Split loyalties
Split family loyalties mean that Semo and Rosalind will not be at Murrayfield this weekend, however, to share in Wallace’s ‘homecoming’.
“I was planning to fly to Chicago and to Scotland to see him play, but our eldest daughter, Maruseana, has reached the finals of Miss Samoa and they are on Saturday too,” explains a proud father. “So, we are travelling to Samoa to support her this week.”
Maru and Wallace both started school at St Peter’s Primary in Galashiels, which also counts Scotland head coach Townsend among its alumni. That could become a fascinating roll of honour if Maru joins her brother in becoming a national star.
If Maru’s style comes from her Samoan heritage, the question is: Can Scotland and Scottish rugby claim any credit for the development of one of world rugby’s most exciting young players, even if he left these shores aged just four?
“Definitely!” says Semo, with a hearty laugh. “Obviously, Wallace has grown and learned his rugby in New Zealand after we returned from Japan, but he definitely first picked up a rugby ball in Scotland and the people of Gala nurtured his early love of sport.
“We called Galashiels our ‘home away from home’. The people are so lovely and whenever we go to the game, you know, the old ladies would just grab Wallace and Maru, and entertain them while the game was on, and look after them. It was a good, safe place for children to grow.
“Wallace came to training sometimes when he started walking and running. He first picked up a ball in Gala, and he would run around and play with other children, and sometimes me and the [Reivers] boys.
“He was very young but he loved running with the ball – he still does! I think I still have a photo of Wallace and Maru in kilts somewhere! It was a special time for our young family, and it is where Wallace’s love for rugby began.
“All cultures are important and play a part in shaping people, and Samoa, Scotland, Japan and New Zealand are all part of Wallace. He has been looking forward to coming back to Scotland – this is his first time since we left – and it will be special for him on Saturday.”
Semo has two younger children, Amarante (18) and 16-year-old Semo junior, who were both born in Japan. Amarante has just finished her final year at Auckland Grammar School, as a head girl, and plays rugby for Auckland Storm – recently winning ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ – in the same back-row position as her dad and older brother, while young Semo plays rugby among a variety of sports.
A rapid ascent
Wallace – the now 6ft 2ins, near 18-stone athlete – not too dissimilar to his father’s playing size – developed through the Auckland rugby system, attending De La Salle College, where he was deputy head boy and captained the 1st XV. He played for the Blues and New Zealand at under-20 level, before joining the Chiefs in 2023, and embarking on a rapid ascent.
In June, 2024, the versatile back-rower was called into his first All Blacks squad aged just 21, after helping the Chiefs to finish runners-up in Super Rugby, and the youngest member of the squad made his Test debut in July against Fiji in San Diego. His blend of power, pace and skill has seen him slot in alongside All Black legend Ardie Savea and offer an arguably greater dynamic presence, in attack and defence, at the back of the scrum.
“It has been enjoyable watching him play, and he is really enjoying his rugby, which is the main thing,” says Sititi senior. “I think he’s more skilful than me, and he’s got good rugby intelligence. He thinks about the game and can read stuff. He’s not that type of person that gets involved in stupid stuff like fighting. He’s different to his dad!
“At the end of the day, we all want our kids to be successful in whatever they do, and I think different cultures can be challenging but also help people to grow; from Scotland to Japan to New Zealand.“When we have family times, the kids talk about going back to Scotland and Japan, and I have spoken to Wallace and he is excited about being back in Scotland. He hopes to get the chance to play on Saturday.
“I have said to all my children: ‘People know you as my son, as my daughter, but I want you to go and make a name for yourself; make me and your mum proud, but make yourself proud. We’re always there to support you, but go and do the best you can to make your name’.
“They are great kids, and now I am just ‘Wallace Sititi’s dad’ or ‘Maru’s or Amarante’s or Semo’s dad’ … which is great! It will be amazing to see our daughter in the Miss Samoa contest and amazing to see Wallace play against Scotland – our home from home.”
The real test of how much Semo fell in love with his ‘home from home’ comes when we get to the nitty-gritty of discussing Saturday’s Test match, the respective strengths of Scotland and New Zealand, and, ultimately, whether Scotland can end the long wait for a victory over the All Blacks.
Semo thinks long and hard before speaking.
“It is definitely possible,” he concludes. “I think Scotland have made massive improvements in the last two or three years. They have done so well with my old friend Gregor [Townsend], and I am pleased for him. He was a great rugby player and great friend.
“They are one of the best attacking teams in the world now. That is not a surprise to me because Gregor is always thinking about how to be the best, and beat the best. All the time. Scotland are faster, more dangerous now; they stretch teams and score more tries now. So, yeah, Scotland have a chance of beating the All Blacks.
“But the All Blacks are very strong and have shown that in their latest games. They know Scotland are good, especially at Murrayfield, and won’t take them easy. It will be a great game … and I think the best team will win!”