Ben Tameifuna is back home in New Zealand after helping Bordeaux win back-to-back European championships and is explaining his reluctance to cut short the partying that followed his most recent success.
“You can’t win them all and when you do get those wins, especially wins like that... it’s written down in the history books now… there were a few of us that enjoyed it and pushed the boat out a bit that week,” he tells 1News.
The celebrations went on for four days. Tameifuna, who will turn 35 at the end of August, was pictured wearing a police stab-proof vest (with permission, of course. He did the same last year). He was also videoed taking the two Champions Cups for a ride on his bike – after first crashing into his car – and falling into a swimming pool with them.
In the immediate aftermath of the victory over Irish club Leinster in the final played in 35degC heat in the Spanish city of Bilbao, he was interviewed by a television reporter on the side of the pitch after being doused in beer.
Asked if he was going to take off his XXXL No.18 jersey any time soon, he responded: “I’m drenched in success.”
That was another way of saying “no”.
Big Ben is reluctant to accept the term “cult hero” but if anything underlines why he has become so popular with teammates and supporters in the south of France it is his joie de vivre, much of which is catalogued on his entertaining Instagram account.
He does want to clarify something about the jersey, however.
“I got home on the first night and my partner said, ‘you have to throw that in the washing machine’. The next morning, I gave it a 20-minute wash and hung it out for 30 minutes and back on it went.
“So, I did wash it… there were a few people in the comments wondering.”
Incredibly, Tameifuna was back playing seven days after that match and scored a try within three minutes of entering the field as a replacement.
“I wouldn’t say cult hero,” he responds when asked if he might qualify for the term. “I just do my bit and the French people tend to gravitate towards you if they see you try… they love a big hit or a big carry.”
Despite his size (and sometimes because of it), he can be a devastating defender and possesses pace, agility and the type of soft hands more common in back-rowers. When combined with his openness and sense of humour, it’s not difficult to see why he has become a crowd favourite wherever he has played.
It is also increasingly clear that this is what peak performance looks like. Well, at the very least the big man is the poster boy not only for being the “final boss” to end all final bosses, but also the idea that rugby is a game for all shapes and sizes.
Relatedly, Big Ben has also become infamous for being one of the heaviest professional rugby players in the world. At his peak after the 2019 World Cup, Tameifuna weighed 160kg. His playing weight now is 146kg or just above, which is probably another hefty reason for his popularity.
Near constant partying is clearly not the ideal way to prepare for a rugby match or much else really, but it does raise the question about whether rugby takes itself a bit too seriously at times.
Asked about that, Tameifuna replies: “I’m not one of the younger players.
“Now I’m just enjoying life. There will be players who are planning on higher honours and wanting to build their reputations. It all depends on the player and how they take rugby. I’m not getting any younger, but I still want to win things. I’m trying to enjoy every moment I can.”
The former Chiefs prop, who helped the franchise win back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 under head coach Dave Rennie, had shoulder surgery within two days of his most recent match but hopes to play for Tonga in November and next year at the World Cup.
Born in Auckland, Tameifuna represented New Zealand at Under-20s level but while he was included in All Blacks training squads in 2012, he did not play a Test for New Zealand.
He is contracted to Bordeaux until the end of next season.
What’s the plan after that?
“I feel I still have the desire to win things and play on," he says. "Obviously, it will depend on the president because he controls things. I’d definitely like to play a couple more seasons. Where? I don’t know. If it’s Bordeaux I’d be stoked because it’s been my home for the last six seasons. From there we’ll see what happens.”
There is nothing quite like a pair of jetlagged toddlers to bring someone back down to earth but Tameifuna is clearly looking forward to when his Chiefs take on the Hurricanes in Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final in Wellington.
He looks back at his time with the Chiefs with a huge amount of fondness and gratitude.
“There are times when I’m doing pre-season in France… pre-season is tough, but when I look back at those pre-seasons with the Chiefs – I know I’ve been through tougher times and that if I can get through that I can get through this.
“To be honest I was just happy to be there and rub shoulders with those types of players,” he says of playing alongside men such as Liam Messam, Sonny Bill Williams and Aaron Cruden. “I was just another kid – 19 or 20, pretty much fresh out of school. I wasn’t professional at all. Just an Island boy from the hood. It was a huge eye opener.
“I’m going down to Hamilton in a few days – hopefully I’ll catch up with them with the trophy.”
Meanwhile, he signalled his arrival back in New Zealand on Tuesday with a simple message on his Instagram account: a picture of a steak and cheese pie from the local bakery.
“They don’t do pies in France,” he says. “It’s always croissants and baguettes.”
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