Every rugby journey is different but few have covered more ground than Bundee Aki to become a two-time British & Irish Lion.
At 35 years old, the Ireland centre was the oldest person named in Andy Farrell’s squad last Thursday at the Indigo at the O2, but such have been his performances in recent years, his inclusion always felt likely.
In fact, it was in 2021 that Aki’s place in the Lions squad came as something of a shock, having started just one game in the preceding Six Nations.
That time around, Warren Gatland had certainly seen something, and after playing in the first five matches of the Tour, Aki made his Test debut in the decider, playing the full 80 minutes as the Lions were beaten 19-16 by a late Morné Steyn penalty.
He has not looked back since and as he embarks on his second Lions Tour, we look back on how he reached this point.
Early days
Born in Auckland to Samoan parents, Hercules and Sautia, Aki was named Bundellu after the doctor who helped deliver him.
While that was how he was known at primary school, a rugby coach struggled to pronounce it and instead the named Bundee was coined, sticking with him ever since.
Growing up in Manurewa, in the south of Auckland, he played for the Manurewa High School first XV alongside future Chiefs teammate and Samoan international Tim Nanai-Williams.
But while he was a talented player, Aki also had a young family to support and made the difficult decision to step away from rugby after school, working as a bank teller to make money.
“I took that time away to look after my family. It helped me grow as a person. Having children around helped my time management," he told the New Zealand Herald.
"To support my family, I had to sacrifice the thing I liked most, which was rugby. I always believed I could fight my way through it."
New Zealand rugby royalty
Aki’s return to his first love came after a meeting with one of the greats of All Blacks rugby, former skipper Tana Umaga.
The former centre was coaching at Counties Manukau and after seeing Aki at work, convinced him to return to rugby.
A short spell in Malaysia playing for the Borneo Eagles was followed by a debut for Counties in 2011, with Aki quickly earning Player of the Year honours in 2012 for his performances as the team were promoted to the top flight.
Speaking of Umaga’s influence, Aki said: "He's one of the best helpers I could get in my position.
"Having a legend telling you what to do and how to play the game is one of the best things I can cherish. His main advice is 'don't be afraid to have a crack. Never doubt yourself because even if you make a mistake, you can always adjust'."
By 2013, Aki had done enough to earn a crack at Super Rugby, given the rather sizable task of filling the void left by another All Black great, Sonny Bill Williams.
The cross-code superstar had just helped the Chiefs to a Super Rugby title, and Aki held his own the following campaign, making 12 starts in the regular season before coming off the bench in the semi-final and final as the Chiefs retained their title.
He enjoyed another fine season with the club but made the decision to head overseas – a decision which transformed his life forever.
Moving across the world
Aki arrived in Galway to play for Connacht under Pat Lam and enjoyed immediate success in a province that had not had much to that point.
Playing alongside future Ireland teammate Robbie Henshaw, Aki spearheaded Connacht’s fairy-tale run to the 2015/16 PRO12 title.
Having finished second in the regular season, Connacht made it to the final at Murrayfield where they stunned Leinster to claim their maiden league crown, with Aki named Player of the Season for his efforts.
His return to Galway and subsequent celebrations became the stuff of legend, making him even more of a fan favourite in the city.
“Bundee is a Connacht man,” Lam told SportsJoe during that run. “You can truly say he’s a Connacht man. He has embraced this area. He has embraced the people. With Pacific Islanders, everything is around the family and the extended family. It doesn’t need to be about blood; it just needs to be the people you care about.”
International recognition
By 2017, Aki was eligible to play for Ireland and he made his debut against the Springboks in front of a host of family who had travelled over from New Zealand to watch him in action.
After breaking into the Ireland squad, he said: “All I’ve got to do is just make sure I put in a performance and do what I can do, and that’s just to perform on the field, and that’s all I can ask for.
“Hopefully I do myself proud, I do my team-mates proud, make sure I do my family proud and most of all, the country proud.”
Despite strong competition in the midfield, Aki made an instant impact, helping Ireland to the Grand Slam the following spring, playing in every game of their clean sweep.
Later that year, he enjoyed another landmark outing for his adopted country, playing in Ireland’s first-ever win over New Zealand on home soil as he got the better of the land of his birth.
Lions bump
With Henshaw and Garry Ringrose challenging him for a starting role with Ireland, Aki was not always a guaranteed starter.
In 2021, he started just one match during the Six Nations, a game which ended with a red card against England.
That did not deter Gatland, however, who brought him to South Africa, where Aki played an important role for the Lions as they ultimately fell just short in the Test series.
His progress since that Tour has been remarkable, helping Ireland to an historic series victory in New Zealand in 2022 before playing his part in a second Grand Slam in 2023.
His performances in that campaign and through the rest of the year saw Aki nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year.
The attachment to Ireland grew even stronger in 2024 when Aki was granted Irish citizenship, 10 years after arriving in the country.
He told the Irish Times: “I’ve been here for a very long time. I’ve embraced the people and the people have embraced me and my family as well.
“We feel like we’re at home.”
Now, four years on from getting a first opportunity in Lions red, Aki heads back down south looking to write the latest chapter in a storied career that has seen him travel far and wide to reach the top.
