An exclusive interview with Isaac Te Tamaki
From New Zealand to France to New Orleans, Isaac Te Tamaki shares how each chapter of his rugby journey shaped his game. In this GOLD Talk, he opens up about scoring at home, pre-game rituals, and helping grow rugby in the U.S.
Q: You’ve had quite the journey—from the All Blacks Sevens to Southland and then the Valence Romans. How has each team shaped you as a player?
Isaac Te Tamaki: I think each team has shaped me in different ways. I was grateful to get the chance to play sevens for my home country, for New Zealand, and that was awesome. I think I learned a lot about what being a professional athlete meant and what it looked like. It gave me an outlook for what being a professional rugby player would look like. Being down in Southland was a big opportunity for me, just to get back into playing, and my family has made that our home outside of me being over here at the moment. Southland holds a really special place in our hearts. Going to France was once again an experience to try rugby in a different country, which was really cool. I made a ton of friends over there, and it was an awesome experience getting to see a different culture and a different look at how rugby could be played. It was a cool aspect. In regards to coming to America to play for NOLA Gold, it was the opportunity to keep playing rugby for the full year, which is always a blessing, and to experience rugby in a place where it is still growing. Being from New Zealand and playing in France and all these places where rugby is pretty settled and everybody knows how they want to play, there’s not as much growth. In contrast, rugby here is growing constantly, and I get to be part of that with some boys who haven’t played a lot of professional rugby and some who have played a whole lot, so it’s a cool journey.
Q: Growing up in New Zealand, how did rugby influence your early years?
Isaac Te Tamaki: Like a lot of boys and girls, I started playing rugby at the age of 4. I actually wanted to play soccer growing up, but my dad didn’t have any of that. He took me down to a rugby club, where it all started. I guess that plays into why we love the game so much and why New Zealand is the powerhouse of rugby. It’s because a lot of us, it’s not professional, but we started playing at such a young age, four and five. So I’ve been playing this game for twenty-six years, even if it started when I was four. It gives you an edge, and it helps you develop early by just getting your hands on the ball.
Q: What was it like to score a try at home versus Old Glory DC?
Isaac Te Tamaki: It was a good feeling. I think the best part about that one and the weekend was just the way us backs showed real courage playing, and how we scored. The connections were there, and we were all aligned in what we wanted to do. At the end of the day, I really just got the ball at the last part of it and put it down at the try line. Most of the other boys did all the other work, which was nice of them, but it’s always a good feeling when you get to score tries at home.
Q: As a center, what do you think defines your playing style?
Isaac Te Tamaki: A big part is my game management. I have a pretty good understanding of the game, and I try to use it to help our teams and how we want to play and follow the game. With my passing ability, footwork, kicking, whatever it looks like, I think my influence in the game may not be scoring lots of tries, but I like to think I play a part in it when we do. Whether that’s throwing the last pass before we score or whatever. It’s just helping pull the strings and defensively working to our shape and ensuring we have a good connection wherever we are on the pitch, so we can go and defend for a long time and not get too flustered when the other team has the ball.
Q: Coming off two wins, how do y’all make sure you use this momentum going into your away match versus the Houston Sabercats?
Isaac Te Tamaki: I think the biggest thing is that we don’t need to change anything. We are starting to prepare incredibly well during the week, and we are getting exactly what we need to prepare for what the team we’re playing is going to give us. Huge credit to the boys who aren’t playing, they’re giving us all the right pictures and allowing us to best prepare for what we’re going into each week. It’s just staying real process-focused too, I think. The outcome will be whatever it is, but as long as we stay true and focused on the process and preparation, we have put ourselves in the best position to go out there and compete and hopefully come away with another win.
Q: This is your first year with NOLA Gold. What is one thing that has surprised you about the team and the community?
Isaac Te Tamaki: One of the big parts I appreciate, not just within the team, is that we have a really good culture around the players and management. It’s always nice when you come into a new environment and you feel like you are a part of the family from the get-go. All of that has been made possible by the players who have been here before and the management. Just the support we get from the fans as well, you know it’s still a growing game here, but I have people coming up to me at coffee shops and random places, and they’re always telling me how nice it was to come watch us play. For some of them, it was their first time watching rugby at all, and you could see that they really enjoyed the experience. So I think that plays a huge part in how much the community continually grows to get behind the game and enjoy watching us play.
Q: Your pre-match ritual includes coffee and catching up with family—how important is that connection to your performance?
Isaac Te Tamaki: The coffee part, I pretty much just love all coffee these days. The family aspect is huge because I’m here by myself, and my partner and daughter are back home in New Zealand at the moment, so being away from them is always tough. So, just making sure that every night, during the day, or whenever I can, I’m just calling and catching up with them and seeing how they’re doing. I’m used to them being in the stands week in and week out, so just having that peace of mind that they’re doing okay and they’re as happy as they can be without me around and vice versa, that really is important to give me peace of mind going into the game so I can go out there and just worry about rugby while knowing that they’re happy and healthy back home.
Q: Do you have a rugby idol or someone you modeled your game after?
Isaac Te Tamaki: Growing up, a big one for me was Tim Nanai-Williams. He played for the Chiefs, and he played Sevens for New Zealand. He played at the World Cups for Samoa more recently, and now he’s in France. I was lucky enough to have him as a mentor when I was in high school, and we kept that relationship going. The great thing about it was that it did start as a mentorship, and now I consider him one of my brothers. We catch up just to see how each other is and how the families are. He was a big role model and played a big part in how I evolved my game and how I wanted to play. We’re quite similar in how we look at the game and how we like to do things.
Q: How has it been playing rugby in the U.S. versus New Zealand or France?
Isaac Te Tamaki: I think the level of rugby here is actually quite good. I wasn’t sure what I would get coming into it as my first year. I think the level of rugby, though, is quite awesome. I think the only difference is that some of the guys I get to play with when I’m over here started playing rugby 3 or 4 years ago. So they’re still really new to the game, but they’re like sponges, they want to learn, and they take in everything I give them, even if I’m probably talking a whole lot of nonsense to be fair. You can just see how eager they are to learn and how grateful they are for any bit of help we are able to give them. For me, I take it right back, they’re all incredibly competitive and great athletes, and they push me to my limits in different aspects. Whether they want to try to beat me for pace and test these old legs or whatever, it looks like, I like to think it keeps me young and sprightly. That’s the biggest thing, they’re just sponges, and they love the game as much as we do back home.
Q: Do you consider yourself more of a vocal leader or a lead-by-example type on the pitch?
Isaac Te Tamaki: I think I have my moments with both. I like to say that it’s because I’m getting old that I get a bit cranky sometimes, so that’s when I like to lead by using my voice and just through my understanding of the game. But then I understand we have some great leaders within the team, so when they talk and get their points across, it’s just about me acting on what they’re talking about to show that we trust what they’re telling us to do. A bit of both, to be fair, it depends on the mood and the amount of sleep I got the night before.
Rapid fire questions
Who’s the funniest guy in the locker room?
That would probably have to be Vilimoni Koroi, I think. I’ve known him for a long time, we played 7s together, and he’s a real character. He loves to have digs at the boys, just making a bit of fun and having a laugh, so I’d have to say him.
Favorite type of coffee?
My favorite type is a flat white, but depending on how I’m feeling, I’d also go for a cortado. However, a flat white is my go-to.
Would you rather speak every language in the world or play every instrument?
Every language, so I could travel the world and fit right in.
Nike or Adidas?
It used to be Adidas, but I’m Nike now.
What’s your go-to comfort meal?
I’m a big fried chicken advocate. KFC is the biggest one back in New Zealand, but it’s not that big here, so I’ve had to change up and try a few different places.
Stay tuned for more exclusive Gold Talk interviews as we follow NOLA GOLD’s journey through the season! Plus, don’t miss out on the action—get your tickets now and cheer on NOLA GOLD at their next home match!
