Vui banks on Bristol to make him a world star
ULTRA-CONFIDENT Samoan Chris Vui aims to become one of the top locks in world rugby – and believes Bristol can take him where he wants to be.
Vui captained Samoa during November, impressing against England’s Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes and Charlie Ewels in a Twickenham showdown.
Having swapped Worcester for life in the Championship this season, the 24-year-old has his sights set on becoming a second row great for club and country.
Former North Harbour and Auckland Blues man Vui told The Rugby Paper: “In New Zealand and at Worcester I played a lot at No.6, but I was a lock growing up and that’s where I want to make my mark and be in the top five in the world.
“I want to get to the stage where people notice and that’s always been my goal; now I’m at Bristol I want to be the best lock I can be.
“To come up against huge England names like Launchbury, Lawes and Ewels last month was tremendous. I want to take on those guys, come out on top and be recognised as one of the world’s best – that’s the mentality you must have.”
Bullish Vui added: “It was a massive decision leaving Worcester last summer because I felt at home there, but as a huge Blues supporter I loved their style of play under Pat Lam. Once he agreed to join Bristol, it was a good move for me.
“I had to take a long-term view with Bristol getting relegated, but that’s the challenge isn’t it?
“It’s great to be part of a process towards an end goal that, hopefully, will see the club competing strongly in the Premiership and Europe. It’s an awesome city with a great sporting vision and I’m confident we can win some big cups.”
Captaining Samoa last month presented big challenges for Vui, not least the financial disparities surrounding match fees and the continued lack of revenue sharing between top nations like England and the impoverished Pacific Islanders.
With Samoa’s players being paid just £650 for the match with England, Vui said: “I’d be lying if I said last month wasn’t tough. As rugby players you can’t control that financial stuff but I’d love it to be properly addressed by World Rugby.
“Some of the players we had at Twickenham risked livelihoods; they’d given up a whole month’s pay to represent the blue jersey and people don’t always see the sacrifices that Pacific island guys make to play for their nations.
“Money is probably secondary to us, but it does help and World Rugby have to look at revenue sharing and developing rugby facilities and coaching on the islands, otherwise Samoa, Fiji and Tonga will go backwards and be uncompetitive.
“That’s no good for international rugby and there’s huge potential for other smaller countries too – if they are give the right direction.”
Vui also calls for the relaxing of eligibility rules around Test players that would enable islanders capped by tier one nations to revert to representing their country of origin later in their careers.
He explained: “You have guys who have maybe played one or two games for the All Blacks and are tied, but it would be awesome if they were allowed back.
“Guys put on the black jersey but there’s still huge pride in where they are from and these rules should be relaxed to allow them to represent the nation of their parents. If their hearts are in it, why shouldn’t they play Test rugby?”