Freda Tafuna
What does it mean for you to be a part of this World Cup squad?
It’s an honour, honestly. Everyone knows being part of a World Cup roster is something hard to get to. To be recognised and then to be able to come out and compete against all these world-class players is hard, so just being here is an honour and a blessing.
Aside from your own country, which country do you think has the best rugby fans?
Tonga!
Are there any jobs that you think you would be terrible at?
Anything that has to do with communication, a lot of times I’d be terrible at it.
Do you have any irrational fears?
Snakes. I think my mum passed that down to me.
What made you want to compete at rugby at this level?
Honestly, in Polynesian culture you’re not given many opportunities. It’s hard to get your name out there. I really wanted to put us on the map. So I hope I am able to do that.
If you could go on a holiday anywhere when you’re not playing rugby, where would you go?
Singapore is my dream destination. It’s always been a dream of mine. The world’s cleanest country and then one of my favourite movies, Crazy Rich Asians, is over there.
Tahlia Brody
If you could only speak in movie quotes for the rest of your life, which movie would you quote the most?
Star Wars. Empire Strikes Back is my favourite. A quote that makes me giggle a lot is the one from Attack of the Clones: “I don’t like the sand, it’s coarse and rough.”
If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would you choose?
Japan. I love the Japanese language, the Japanese culture. I have several friends that are in Japan. I practice a little bit of Japanese martial arts, so it would be really cool to go visit Okinawa, where the style originates from. I just had an amazing time when I was there previously.
You travel a lot for the sport is there any weird souvenirs that you’ve picked up?
When I was in Amsterdam I got one of those aprons that had the naked chest for my brother!
Do you have any random hobbies that you do outside of the sport?
I am a huge Star Wars nerd, anime nerd. I like drawing. I really enjoy baking.
If you could choose any personal mascot to represent you at the tournament, what would it be?
A Wookie!