England roll into Scotland on Friday night to continue their pursuit of another Women’s Six Nations title, with a smattering of fresh faces and sprinkling of Fijian flair. Lagi Tuima, the 19-year-old niece of the Fiji men’s captain, Akapusi Qera, makes her first Six Nations start and while she considers it an “honour and a privilege” to represent England, she does not intend to forget her roots.
“I guess I play what I see. I do get a thrill when there is chaos in front of me,” Tuima said. “I do like to offload – whether or not it’s the right thing to do or not – but it’s definitely one of my go-tos when I play.”
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Tuima, who moved to England as a child, is in her first season with Bristol in the Tyrrells Premier 15s league and only took up rugby at 16. Her progression has been swift and she made her first international start at Twickenham in the autumn victory against Canada, a few days after her first cap. She is following in the footsteps of Semesa Rokoduguni and Nathan Hughes in becoming a Fiji‑born England international.
She had an ankle injury at the start of the Six Nations but comes in at outside-centre against Scotland, who are improving but are expected to be swept aside by an England side who have proved too strong for Italy and Wales.
“It was my second cap but my first start at Twickenham, it was a huge honour,” she says of the Canada game. “Even thinking about it now I get goosebumps, it’s a memory that I’ll cherish. Not many 19-years-olds from Fiji get to play at Twickenham.
“I was six or seven when I came over, I’ve lived more of my life here and I call this my own country. It’s good to have the opportunity to give back to a country that has given me a lot. But I have nothing but good memories of Fiji – it’s typical sun, beaches – very much paradise.”
Qera has been based in France since 2014, after seven years with Gloucester, but Tuima regularly picks her uncle’s brains at family get-togethers. And she is not alone, with her younger brother, Rus, picked in the England Under-18 squad on Monday. “We talk a lot about rugby and [Qera] has given me a lot of good advice,” Tuima said.
“Before rugby I was playing football and I thought that was the be all and end all. I stopped playing football to concentrate on academic stuff but then threw myself in at the deep end and started rugby, and as soon as I touched the ball I fell in love with it.”
Tuima forms a new-look centre partnership with Lauren Cattell as Simon Middleton makes five changes in personnel with Vickii Cornborough coming into the side at loosehead prop. Rowena Burnfield and Izzy Noel‑Smith are named as the flankers and, with Sarah Hunter rested, Poppy Cleall moves to No 8 as Katy Daley-Mclean captains from fly-half.