Speak to anyone close to Sione Tuipulotu and they will tell you he always laughs.
A goofy, silly, infectious laugh, the kind that makes those around him laugh too, even when the joke is on them.
And, in fairness, the centre has had plenty to be happy about.
In the past 12 months, he has become a father for the first time, got engaged to partner Lara, won the URC title with Glasgow Warriors, was appointed Scotland’s new captain and has now been selected for The British & Irish Lions.
INJURY RECOVERY
A pectoral injury, suffered in January, did threaten a sharp sting in the tail but after a gruelling rehab schedule, he is back just in time to take his place on the plane heading for Australia.
With that, it says plenty about Tuipulotu’s value that his inclusion in Andy Farrell’s squad barely merited a mention as the dust settled on the squad announcement and each decision was meticulously scrutinised.
Yet, here is a player who had not played in four months but whose selection in a squad that combines the best of Britain and Ireland for an intense Test series on the other side of the world was still a foregone conclusion.
Very few players are good enough to fall into that category.
It completes a remarkable four years for Tuipulotu, who has gone from a Glasgow Warriors punt signing to the pre-tour favourite for a starting Lions jersey.
“I can't tell you that feeling of being named," he said.
“It's euphoria. The first person I contacted was my misses. I think I said it before, I gave my misses a big kiss on the smackers!
“I spoke to my mum, dad, gran, I have videos of their reactions. I get to go and play in front of them as well.”
FAMILY TIES
Family is important to Tuipulotu. Born and raised in Melbourne to a Tongan father and Australian mother, he qualifies for Scotland through his granny, who left Greenock seven decades ago.
A video of her surprising him in the Murrayfield changing room last November, on the eve of Scotland’s autumn match against Australia, went viral and was a reminder of what those who travel the world to reach the pinnacle of their sport sacrifice.
“I bet on myself,” Tuipulotu said.
“I took a lot of risks moving my family over here.
“I have missed out on a lot back home in terms of my parents getting older, my grandparents getting older, my brothers getting on with life without me.
“I have sacrificed a lot to be where I am today. I just feel like Lions selection is justification of those sacrifices in the last 16 years.”
GLOBETROTTING
It’s been some journey.
Tuipulotu first moved to Scotland four years ago as Glasgow Warriors plucked him from relative obscurity and took a punt that has emphatically paid off.
It was almost last-chance saloon for the inside centre, who struggled to break through at Melbourne Rebels and was unsure whether to commit to a full-time career.
He took a gamble and moved to Japan, where a short spell with Shizuoka reignited his passion for the game. And then, with the UK in the grip of the Covid pandemic, he upped sticks and took both himself and his partner to the other side of the globe, settling in Glasgow.
He has since become one of the best players in the world, an all-action centre who can create, bust the gainline and even kick.
Australia’s loss is Scotland’s gain.
“I look back at when I first came over and I actually did two weeks quarantine because it was in Covid times,” he added.
"Then when I popped out, one of the boys got Covid, so I ended up doing four weeks in a hotel before I did any training.
"I remember there were some pretty dark days. I was thinking about going home, to be honest, because it was getting a bit tough. I put my heart and soul into my journey here, and I've worked really hard to get to this point.
“My son is going to spend his first birthday back in Australia with both sets of grandparents. Everything has worked out.
“Most of my family is in Melbourne, they’re spread out a bit. It’s awesome to go to Australia, it’s one of the best places in the world to tour, we’ll be having fun on the field and off it.
“I grew up with so many of the Wallabies players, I have known them since I was 12. I hope they are picked and I am picked and we get to play against each other.
“They are all bigger than me, so I will be wary of their shoulders rather than the other way round.”
The Wallabies will be more aware than most of Tuipulotu’s talent.
LIONS READY
He smashed his way across the try-line for the first of his country's four scores and produced an outstanding performance in Scotland’s 27-13 Autumn Nations Series win last November.
Worryingly for the Wallabies, he believes there is more to come
"I feel like I'm going to be a better player than when I got hurt,” he said. “I'm going to be more hungry, more desperate. I'm so excited.”
Alongside him in the midfield was Huw Jones, who has also been selected for his third Lions tour. They have become a formidable pairing on and off the field, with the nickname Huwipulotu even making its way into Scottish rugby lexicon.
Their friendship was formed in Glasgow’s Sanctuary nightclub, with Tuipulotu signed to replace Jones, who was leaving for Harlequins.
A couple of years later, Jones returned and the pair have been inseparable since, and you feel the production team for The Lions Raw, the 2025 fly-on-the-wall documentary that will follow team, will be following them around keenly.
“Huw was before me and when his name was read, it made me a thousand times more nervous,” he added.
“I was so happy for him and it’s something we both wanted. To have two boys from Glasgow there, it’s special.
"I just want to go out in Australia and perform in big games for such an amazing team. The Lions is rich in history and I just want to add my piece to that book."
