Ireland rugby star was born in New Zealand and worked as a bank teller before making 65 caps
Bundee Aki is back with the Ireland squad as his six-game suspension draws to an end.
The 35-year-old centre was found guilty of “verbally abusing and disrespecting” match officials during the Connacht v Leinster URC match last month, which meant he was forced to sit out the opening three matches of the Six Nations.
The veteran is now serving the last game of his ban and will miss Saturday’s trip to Allianz Stadium Twickenham when his team-mates will take on England
Nevertheless, the midfielder will provide Andy Farrell with an experienced head for the tournament run-in when they face Wales and Scotland.
He has had a storied career – one which may have come to a premature end had a world superstar not stepped in to help.
Despite being born in New Zealand, Aki has represented Ireland since 2017, becoming eligible through residency requirements. He has proven instrumental for the national side in recent years, accumulating 68 caps.
With Ireland, Aki has been central to their capture of three Six Nations Championships, three Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams. While approaching the latter stages of his career, the centre continues to play a vital role in Ireland’s setup.
However, before embarking on a professional journey spanning 14 years, there was a period when Aki considered abandoning rugby altogether due to family responsibilities.
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Nearly walking away from rugby
As a teenage father at that point, Aki chose to shelve his rugby aspirations to take employment as a bank teller, providing financial stability for his daughter. Yet it was through the involvement of former All Blacks legend Tana Umaga that he returned to pursuing his sporting goals.
A close associate of Aki’s, Tim Nanai-Williams, revealed to RugbyPass that following his return to club rugby — prompted by his mother’s support — his ability caught Umaga’s attention. “Tana Umaga was at (NPC side) Counties Manukau,” Nanai-Williams explained.
“And he rung me and asked, ‘What do you reckon about Bundee?’ The deal was, as a club player, you’d go in and train with the squad at 6am, and you weren’t paid.
“Bundee was trying to work and provide and I told him, ‘Hey, just guts it out, because once you make NPC, you could be on your way… and if you don’t go, I’m gonna get in trouble too! I know what you can do’.
“He just needed a little kick up the a**e. He made the Counties team that year, quit his job and went from there.”
Baby born in car
Visibly elated after the British and Irish Lions’ third Test victory against Australia in Sydney last summer, Aki proved remarkably candid during an interview when he disclosed his wife Kayla had delivered their baby in a vehicle prior to the series opener.
Welcoming their fifth child, Kayla had been travelling to hospital but failed to arrive in time. When questioned about his post-match plans, Aki responded: “I want to enjoy my break, my family time.
“I haven’t seen my family for eight weeks. I have a newborn child who I haven’t met yet.”
He went on: “Yep, a girl. She was born when we were playing in Brisbane, so I haven’t met her.
“Her name is Aine, so I’m looking forward to going and meeting her.”
After this revelation, he ensured to offer particular recognition to Kayla as he stated: “Credit to my wife.”
Recent controversy
Earlier this year Aki was handed a suspension for “verbally abusing and disrespecting” match officials during his side’s URC clash with Leinster.
His actions sparked criticism from the Irish Rugby Football Union. “The IRFU does not tolerate any form of disrespect shown towards match officials and does not condone actions that fall below the standards expected of players representing Irish rugby,” read a statement at the time.