‘Tongan Thor’ dreams of Wallaby gold

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HE is the New Zealand schoolboy sensation who is being chased by four countries, two codes, at least 11 clubs and mastercoach Wayne Bennett, but Taniela 'Tongan Thor' Tupou has held a lifelong dream to play for the Wallabies.

The 18-year-old became an overnight internet sensation this week after footage of his unbelievable hat-trick in first XV rugby was posted on YouTube, leading to a deluge of offers from rugby and league teams.

A 135kg prop, who runs faster than the wingers on his Sacred Heart College team with a fend and footwork, Tupou is now the most in-demand teenage rugby player on the planet.

NRL sides Newcastle Knights and New Zealand Warriors want to sign him, along with five French rugby clubs, one English rugby club, as well as Kiwi Super Rugby franchises the Chiefs and Blues.

While Tupou has been prevented from speaking to media by his manager Daniel O'Loughlin, the Daily Telegraph tracked down his Australian-based brother Criff, who revealed that his younger brother has grown up aspiring to wear gold.

"Always growing up, he wanted to play for the Wallabies or the Kangaroos," said Criff Tupou, a miner based in Tasmania.

Asked why, when nearly all Kiwi schoolboys grow up dreaming of becoming an All Black, Criff responded: "Because the Wallabies always have a lot of Tongans in their team, and the All Blacks don't have too many".

It can be revealed that Tupou has been on the Waratahs' radar since well before the hat-trick video reached the masses, with NSW's chief scout Tim Kelaher understood to have picked him as a potential target months ago.

Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said of Tupou: "We're obviously looking for new talent all the time, it's part of our job.

"If a player like that shows the talent required to come in and be part of our system, we're interested."

Tupou, also known as Daniel - the English version of his name - is one of 11 children and moved to New Zealand from Tonga four years ago.

Interestingly, reports have emerged that Tupou will be prevented from representing the New Zealand Schoolboys team later this year because he does not hold a Kiwi passport.

Sacred Heart principal Jim Dale warned that Tupou could be lost to New Zealand rugby, telling the New Zealand Herald: "I think it is a naive stance. If there are talented kids like Daniel and they are deemed to be good enough, they should be picked - they should be given the opportunity.

"Daniel has been here in New Zealand since late 2010 and he's a wonderful kid. I'd hate to think that he'd be lost to another code or to another country who could be more accommodating."

And it is now a big possibility, with Criff revealing that he has been inundated with phone calls from France, England, and NRL clubs.

"I have all these clubs calling me every day now, it is crazy," Criff said.

"I just tell them that if they can give him a deal and bring our mum and little sister from Tonga, it will be the best thing they can do because Taniela will go to another level with his game.

"Our father passed away in 2006, then Taniela went to New Zealand four years later and left mum behind.

"She spends 100 pa'anga (100 Tongan dollars, or $A58) a day to call him, and he cries all the time.

"His motivation to play is to get mum [Loisi] and Selu [the youngest child in the family] to where he is, so they can have a better life.

"We grew up really poor, there were 13 of us in two rooms, most of us slept on the floor."

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