In another lifetime, David Liti could be pulling on a black jersey of a different kind.
A former age-grade team-mate of All Blacks and Blues superstar Rieko Ioane, Liti is instead preparing for his debut Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, where the 168kg lifter will compete in the 105kg plus super heavyweight grade.
It's been a rapid rise for the Tongan-Kiwi, who placed 14th in his first senior competition at the world champs, and is the only Kiwi junior to clean and jerk over 200kg.
At just 21 he is New Zealand's top-ranked super heavyweight, not that he's getting too far ahead of himself.
David Liti will compete in the super heavyweight class at the Commonwealth Games. (Source: Other)
"I'm still young, still got a lot to learn, this sport's exciting, when I first started I didn't really like it, I thought it was boring," he told reporters at a lifting team press conference today.
"There's lots of sitting down so I kind of like it now."
A career in the front row looked likely for a while, but said a question from his lifting coach when he was still playing saw him put the oval-ball code on hold.
"Do you really just want to be a number on the field, or a world-class weightlifter?" The former One Tree Hill College student was asked.
"That kind of opened my eyes."
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