Tupou Vaa'i

Tupou Vaa'i is a New Zealand lock who has established himself as a mainstay of the Gallagher Chiefs' engine room. Born on 27 January 2000, the towering second-row earned his first All Blacks cap in 2020, marking himself out as one of the country's most promising young forwards. Vaa'i's game is built on set-piece reliability and relentless physicality: he is a genuine lineout target, a strong scrummager and a punishing ball-carrier who consistently gets his side over the gain line. Equally industrious in the loose, he covers ground well for a man of his size and contributes heavily on defence. At the Chiefs he has been a central figure in the forward pack during their Super Rugby Pacific campaigns, providing the kind of physical platform that lets the team's outside backs flourish. Comfortable across the second and back rows, Vaa'i's versatility, durability and international pedigree make him one of the more dependable forwards in New Zealand rugby.