From boy to man, Sowakula’s special journey back to Lautoka

From just three-weeks-old, Pita Gus Sowakula was cradled in the arms of his aunty and uncle, who brought him up while his mother attended school in Lautoka.

Twenty-seven years later, that little baby boy returns to his hometown in Fiji quite the grown man – all 1.95metres and 110kg of him – with his own wee bundle of joy in tow, in the midst of a thriving rugby career which has him on the verge of an All Blacks call-up.

Fresh off celebrating his 50th match for the Chiefs last weekend, today’s clash against the Fijian Drua is something else in the significance stakes for the former resort chefwho now, rather than in the kitchen, goes about concocting his salivating offerings on the footy field.

A former national basketball rep, Sowakula also played rugby league and sevens before making the shift to New Zealand in 2016 when his agent brokered a deal to get the formerwinger – yes, winger – a spot in the Taranaki rugby academy.

Called into the Chiefs as injury cover in 2018, the powerful, athletic No 8 has taken his game to new levels, so much so he has had contact from the All Blacks ahead of July’s test series against Ireland.

‘‘A few messages from the coaches – just to play my game and finish off the season strong and hopefully be in that environment soon,’’ Sowakula told Stuff this week.

Before that, though, comes a match against a Drua sidewhich has been thrashed in its two outings on Kiwi soil in the past three weeks, but which Sowakula knowswill present as a dangerous, nothing-to-lose prospect in their first-ever outing in Lautoka, against a Chiefs side who need awin to guarantee a home quarterfinal next weekend.

‘‘It’s their last game, but because we’re playing at their home they won’t back down, they’ll try and impress the supporters, so they’ll play their best this week.’’

Knowing a thing or two about playing their best is indeed Sowakula, who’s put this season’s fine form down to being a new dad.

Making the trip back to his home town even more special, then, is having his partner and seven-month old Lavenia-Rangi by his side for a surprise first meeting of his daughter for his family back home.

Sowakula’s mother and grandmother live in Lautoka, along with his five younger brothers and two younger sisters (half-siblings included), who are keen school and club rugby players in their own right and were to be treated to new pairs of rugby boots which their older brother had ensured he packed in his luggage for Thursday’s flight.

Sowakula’s uncle and aunty, who he counts as his ‘‘parents’’ – now live in Sigatoka but will also form part of the crew cheering him on at Churchill Park – a ground he has played at during his school and club days, last setting foot on it in 2012.

‘‘I’m really looking forward to seeing the family,’’ said Sowakula, who was hoping for a heap of tickets from his team-mates to help out both he and fellow Fijian Emoni Narawa, and who has again sorted a bus for the village to hop aboard to the ground.

Indeed, this is Sowakula’s third time in Fiji with the Chiefs. In his maiden campaign he was a nonplaying member of the side which beat the Highlanders in Suva, then he was part of the all-action comeback win over the Crusaders in the capital the following year.

The family were at those games, too, but this time, back where he was born and spent much of his childhood, ismore momentous.

‘‘It’s pretty cool to go back there,’’ Sowakula said, of a fixturewhich was only late in the making, having originally been scheduled for Australia’s Gold Coast.

‘‘It was pretty funny, we were still in Aussie [lastmonth], wewere just in the hotel, and my family messaged me from back home telling me that we were actually playing in Fiji.

‘‘They were the ones that actually broke the news to us.

‘‘So I was shocked.’’ Having moved to Sigatoka for primary school, Sowakula returned, on his own, to the country’s secondlargest city to attend Central College Lautoka, where he stayed with his mum’s older sister.

Due to basketball opportunities, he transferred to Suva Grammar for his final term of school, then earned himself a job as a chef at Hideaway Resort near Sigatoka.

‘‘I’ve started to lose the cooking skills now,’’ Sowakula admitted.

But while his kitchen exploits may not be what they were, his rugby feats have instead taken over, after plunging well outside his comfort zone half a dozen years ago in making the move overseas, to now all of a sudden bringing up a half century with the Chiefs.

‘‘It was a bit of a struggle when I first came,’’ he said. ‘‘I never imagined that I would come this far.

‘‘But I’m just grateful for the opportunity.’’