The discipline and direction found during a school year in Tonga was pivotal to George Smith’s rise to become one of rugby’s greatest flankers.
Of all the positives to the Queensland Reds’ historic trip to Nuku’alofa, seeing Smith in this Tongan setting has been one of the most meaningful.
A visit to his former school, Tupou College, was given the full brass band treatment to welcome Smith and an advance party from the Reds earlier this week.
Friday’s matches for the Reds men’s and women’s teams against the national sides of Tonga will always seem the pinnacle events of the week.
No less important have been the school visits, the coaching clinic for players in the Tongan Armed Forces and just building stronger relationships with a Pacific island neighbour of long standing.
Those old enough to remember Tonga’s historic 1973 tour of Australia will know the rugby relationship has stretched beyond 50 years. For older Tongans, the upset of the Wallabies at Ballymore in '73 put their tiny country on the rugby map.
For Queensland teams, it has been through players like Taniela Tupou, Toutai and Steve Kefu, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Feao Fotuaika, Smith and others that the Tongan bloodline has run strong.
Smith had a chequered early high school life on Sydney’s northern beaches where he was Manly-born.
“As a past student, walking around the grounds, seeing old buildings, the playing fields and the chapel brings back a lot of positive, old memories,” Smith told the students when visiting Tupou College.
“What it instilled in me in 1996 as a 15-year-old was a lot of discipline and solidified my religious beliefs.
“It allowed me to change sports and my direction in life.
“Thank you for allowing us to be here and the heartfelt playing of instruments in the brass band.”
Smith’s path to 111 Tests, two Super Rugby titles with the ACT Brumbies and two seasons at the Reds became an ongoing highlights package for rugby fans to enjoy.
The fact that the Reds women’s team is sharing this Tongan experience is of a huge significance.
It is the first overseas tour by the Reds women since they played their first game in 1996.
Beside Smith was Wallaroo Bree-Anna Brown (nee Cheatham), who serves full-time in the Australian Army at the Gallipoli Barracks at Enoggera.
She was in her element at HMNB Masefield, the naval base in Tonga where she got into the high-performance coaching clinic with players from His Majesty’s Armed Forces (HMAF).
"This was a very special moment for me in Tonga. I got to combine my two favourite things - rugby and army and spend time on and off the field with my defence family in Tonga,” Brown said.
Through rugby diplomacy, it was another way to strengthen the defence ties between Tonga and Australia.
The exercise certainly put a smile on the face of Major Caroline Fairs, Assistant Defence Advisor South Pacific and a former Wallaroo.
Reds women’s co-captain Lori Cramer sees the benefits of the tour in a rugby sense.
“We have a lot of fresh faces in this crew. This tour is very proactive for Super Rugby Women’s in 2025,” Cramer said.
“Another game against international players and a different style is only going to help our team. We play such a multi-cultural game and that is one of the best parts of rugby.”
Australia’s PacificAus Sports program supports the Tonga tour.
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high-performance coaching in Australia and internationally.
The equal funding for women and men has made this historic tour possible.
For Reds head coach Les Kiss, this tour is part of an ongoing process.
“We’re really keen to continue the international experiences to develop our players and staff,” Kiss said.
“You see how a 19-year-old like Dre Pakeho stepped up against Wales in his first game last week. You see the benefits on the field and also off it.”
