Kurtley Beale to lead First Nations & Pasifika XV against Lions in Melbourne
Former Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale has been selected to lead the First Nations & Pasifika XV, which will debut against the British & Irish Lions in Melbourne in a new fixture hoped to become a rugby union tradition.
Beale, a Darug man with Kamilaroi ancestry, is set to take the field alongside Rob Leota of Samoan and New Zealand descent, Fiji-born Reds backrower Seru Uru, Waratahs flanker Charlie Gamble, who has Tongan background, and Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead, a proud Barunggam man.
These are the first five players selected to wear a jersey designed by Wiradjuri man and Wallabies winger Dylan Pietsch, and given licence to entertain at Marvel Stadium next month.
Beale, 36, who was part of the Wallabies side for the 2013 Lions tour – has returned from an achilles injury for the Western Force this year, but will not play in his club's match against the Lions on Saturday due to a hamstring complaint, and has just four weeks to recover before the First Nations & Pasifika XV clash.
Tongan-born former Wallaby Toutai Kefu is coaching the team and said Beale's injury was 'slight' and he expected him to play. Now coaching in Japan, Kefu will be joined on the coaching panel by Wallabies legends Sekope Kepu and Glen Ella, as well former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, whose parents are Samoan.
Kefu said his players are looking forward to the chance to honour their communities and heritage as part of the Lions tour.
'We're all brothers that originated from the Pacific Ocean,' he said. 'The sea is what connects all of us, and we've had this great opportunity, not only to play together, but to represent Pasifika players and First Nations players that have played here in Australia in the past.'
While Fiji is a world force in sevens, the national teams of Samoa and Tonga – which Kefu coached for six years – are yet to have the same impact on international rugby union as they have in rugby league, where Samoa reached the 2021 World Cup final and Tonga has beaten New Zealand twice in the past decade.
Kefu said there were ways to help Pacific nations without threatening the integrity of the international game, and believes eligibility rules should be relaxed to assist countries outside the top tier.
'Obviously, there's a whole [lot of] other details involved, but I think it's going to make the game better,' he said.
The invitational side was conceived following the demise of the Melbourne Rebels, which were due to play the Lions in Melbourne as part of the tour contract with Rugby Australia and the Victorian government.
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Muirhead said he was looking forward to sharing understanding of culture with his teammates in preparation for the match.
'We're all very passionate about culture, there's obviously some similarities between all of us, and I think the great thing about rugby is that you get to connect anyway,' he said.
He said more effort was needed to assist young Indigenous players break through into the professional ranks, but this event – similar to the annual NRL Indigenous All-Stars match – was a great chance to platform elite First Nations talent.
'Having a game like this where young boys and girls see, not only Indigenous but Pasifika players come together, might motivate them,' he said.
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