Miracle journey: From village rugby to Super Rugby captain

Miracle Fai'ilagi is no stranger to the unexpected, his very arrival into the world marked by extraordinary circumstances.

Such was the nature of his birth that his parents bestowed the name Miracle on their son, a name he has continued to live up to, carving out a remarkable journey from village rugby to Moana Pasifika captain.

"It was kind of a miracle in my family. My mum was giving birth at the same time my dad was having surgery. When I was born, my dad finished his surgery. So it was kind of a miracle that they both lived."

Fai'ilagi will take the reigns from Moana's inspirational 2024 leader, Ardie Savea, who is on playing sabbatical in Japan.

Coach Tana Umaga said it's a hole that's impossible to fill.

"No one person can do what Ardie did for us last year or his legacy, and we can't expect one person to step up. And so for us, it is a collective effort. We need everybody to step into that hole that he's left."

However, Umaga said Fai'ilagi has the full backing of the squad to lead them.

"I've just seen him grow in the respect that he's gathered from those around him. He's softly spoken, but he's very knowledgeable around what he talks about. When we announced it to the team, it got the loudest chair that I've heard for a long time."

Hailing from the villages of Vailele and Uafato in Samoa, Umaga said Fai'ilagi encapsulates the purpose of Moana Pasifika.

"It's something for others to aspire to that come from the same background as Mira, because to get to where he's got to, there's not many of those stories around, especially through the pathway that he's taken to come to Moana. it just shows that if you go through your work and you put in the effort, things can happen for you."

It was a breakout season for Fai'ilagi, scoring eight tries, including a hat-trick in Moana Pasifika's win over the Hurricanes.

Despite the captain's armband, Fai'ilagi is not feeling the pressure of the role.

"Just being the best player on the field, just leading through my actions and just doing my job, nothing changes."

He said he was honoured to be asked to lead.

"It's a massive step up for me. It's a really special moment for me and also my family."

Fai'ilagi has been in regular contact with his predecessor, whose advice gave him the confidence he could do the job.

"I saw that opportunity to learn many things from him (Savea) and I've spoken to him a couple of weeks ago about some leadership stuff. It's a goal of mine this season to step into that leadership group and stepping to this captaincy is massive."

After their strongest season to date, Umaga said Moana's challenge is to back it up in 2026.

"We knew what we did last year was great, but you can't rest on your laurels or on what happened last year. You've got to learn and learn how to grow."

Moana kick off their Super Rugby season against the Fijian Drua in Lautoka on 14 February.

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