Considering Allan Alaalatoa’s father was a Samoan international and his brother played with the Waratahs and now the Crusaders, it’s no surprise to find the 22-year old on his feet in Canberra. Rugby News and RUPA caught up with Alaalatoa this week. 

You come from a talented rugby family. Was there ever any pressure or an expectation that you become a professional rugby player as well?

I wouldn’t say that there was pressure to play rugby. I was fortunate that my parents supported me regardless of what I did. Our number one rule in the house was always “education first”. My old man always pressured me to get my education because he knew that it was easy for me to play rugby, but quite hard for me to study so he always pushed me in that area.

In terms of rugby, how much have you learnt from your father and brother?

I’ve learnt a lot from my old man. He played in a professional environment with Manu Samoa at the 1991 World Cup so growing up, I would always ask him for tips and he would always come to our games to watch us play. Mike is obviously the older brother, so I was able to watch what he was going through and learn from that. He made all the rep teams before I did, so when it was my turn, I could always turn to him for advice which made it a lot easier for me.

You spent three years in the first XV at Newington. Can you tell us about your experiences playing GPS Rugby?

I absolutely loved it. Going to that College was a big change in my life, it taught me a lot of discipline and I had to work really hard to get used to that. To be apart of the GPS winning side in 2010, that is still one of the best highlights I’ve had playing rugby. When I think about where I am now, I look back on my schooling years and am really thankful for it.

You spent three years in the Australian U20s program before you were picked up by the Brumbies. Was it a difficult decision to leave Sydney and head to Canberra?

Yeah at first it was really tough. My first goal was to stay at home with Mum and Dad, but the opportunity was too good to turn down. I had a close childhood friend in Scotty Sio who was already down at the Brumbies so that made the transition a lot easier.

You made your Super Rugby debut in a finals match. Were you feeling the pressure?

Yeah it all happened very quickly. The two players in front of me got injured and then they told me that I was going to debut. When I started on my EPS (extended player squad) contract, they said that there were a lot of injuries in a Super Rugby season and everyone had to be ready to play at any time of the year and by the time the finals came around, I thought my chance was gone but then one of the boys went down the week before the first finals match. I was fairly nervous all week, but he boys all got around me during training and that made it a lot easier for me.

You’ve played two years in the NRC. How has that helped your development?

It was good. In my first year, I was trying to learn as much as possible because I hadn’t had a lot of game time at Super Rugby level and the coaches told me I would be playing a lot in the NRC so I think I benefited a lot from that. I came into the Super Rugby season last year a lot hungrier to get more of a taste of Super Rugby and I got a chance about four or five rounds into last season. That proved to me that if I trained and played hard in the NRC, it would create more of an opportunity for me at the Brumbies.

What was it like playing against your brother?

It was weird to be honest. We always wish each other luck before the game but it was different before we played each other. I remember saying to him before the Country Eagles game “make sure you aren’t standing in front of me.” Mum didn’t really like watching us attack one another but the rest of the family really enjoyed seeing us play against one another at that level.

Last week you went back to West Harbour with Scott Sio and Jack Debreczeni. Have you stayed involved with the club since you left?

Yeah it was really good. My little nephew is playing in the under 10s so it was great to see all the little kids down there enjoying their rugby because we were all there at one point. I played with Jack (Debreczeni) at West Harbour and Scotty was a few years older so it was great to get back down there. I think it’s really important to give back to the grassroots as much as possible and to always remember where I came from because I wouldn’t be where I am now without that junior footy.

There are a lot of senior players in the Brumbies front row like Stephen Moore, Scott Sio, Ben Alexander. What have they been able to teach you?

If I look back to when I first arrived at the Brumbies, I was really nervous just to be around those guys but they al welcomed me with open arms, particularly Benny A (Alexander), Scotty Sio and Stephen Moore. They are the leaders in the group for me and they are always critiquing my game and helping me whenever possible. That’s why I love the club. Even though we all play the same position and it is competitive at times, the boys are always happy to help the young guys.

What do you away from footy?

I was studying Criminology at UWS in Sydney but I’ve had to change and now I’m studying externally through Griffith University. The study is good because it helps me get away from rugby and do something completely different. I live with two of the Brumbies boys, so it is good to get away from rugby for a while and focus on my studies. Plus, it is giving me a goal for after rugby because it isn’t going to last forever. There is a bigger picture outside of rugby and I’m grateful that RUPA can help me with that and give me every opportunity possible.

What is your dream job after rugby?

Criminology is pretty broad, so I will need to do a masters in policing afterwards. I’d love to work for the Australian Federal Police, that would be my goal at the moment but who knows where I will end up. I’m also interested in teaching so I’ll see what happens down the track.

This interview was conducted as part of a collaboration between Rugby News and The Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA), designed to help the Australian Rugby public get to know some of the newer professional stars of our game who have graduated from Club Rugby. For more information on RUPA and the services they offer, click here.