Rieko Ioane was always going to be an All Black. New Zealand’s greatest past time was built in his lineage. Running through his blood and engraved on his chest a future Silver Fern. Ioane grew up in the Central Auckland suburb of Mount Eden just five minutes away from the hallowed turf of Eden Park – the home of New Zealand Rugby and the fortress of the All Blacks. You’d think that his mother, former Black Fern Sandra, and his father Eddie, a former Samoan rugby international, couldn’t have thought of a better name for their son. The meaning of Rieko is “child blessed with logic.” And there’s no question that on the 18th of March 1997, the kid was born and he had a purpose. At just 21 years of age, Ioane has become accustomed to being raved about in the spotlight and having cameras surrounding him. He was scouted as a teenager whilst at Auckland Boys Grammar where he was a standout for the 1st XV; and at the tender age of 17 made his debut for the All Blacks Sevens. You could say that it was at that very moment that we witnessed the emergence of a rugby superstar. It may sound weird for us to say that we could foresee the future but even though it was hard to contemplate that Rieko was only 17, yes he was playing in a man’s world but at that moment – he was the Man. He’s already regarded as the best winger in the world and hasn’t reached his prime yet. He’s a juggernaut of the game and speedster. Two things that isn’t usually associated with each other. But behind the six foot two, breakthrough player of 2017 is a kid who used to get home after school and played touch in the backyard with his big brother Akira and the “bigger and cooler kids”. A kid who prides himself on his Maori and Samoan culture, who has shared a bedroom with his brother Akira for his whole life and has legions of sneakers that he likes to collect from Jordan’s to Yeezy’s. And just like any kid in a candy store, Rieko not only loves his shoes, he cherishes them and if you come from a big island family you’ll know that just like Rieko, when the Aunties, Uncles and Cousins come over you can’t but help but just want to give them the ‘stink’ ones. Its things like these that make Rieko one of the most relatable athletes. Young fans can connect with him on such a deep level because even though he’s a rugby superstar he is this genuine and pretty chill guy who isn’t afraid to show this in front of the camera. He’s quite a character with his media interviews, usually filled with laughter and jokes, like the time he was speaking to the All Blacks press with Blues teammate – Sonny Bill Williams and a photographer had been taking some close-up shots of Sonny. Rieko then asked the photographer: "Are you just gonna take photos of him? With Sonny then adding "Don't get too close bro, his nose will take out the camera". And on the field, he loves a good try celebration, something his teammates give him a bit of stick for. Whether it’s pumping his chest, jumping so high he could almost reach the first line of stands, or putting the ball over the line with one hand and the other in the air getting the crowd into it; there’s not a game that you’ll watch of Ioane’s that you don’t want to see again. Rieko’s also an avid NBA fan with his favourite non-rugby sports team being the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s sometimes hard to figure what team rugby players actually support or if they’ve just jumped on the bandwagon. That’s because one day you’ll see them in a Lakers or Bulls singlet during training; and then in an Instagram post see them in a Cavs jersey. But if Ioane’s latest tweet is anything to go by then I think we can say that he truly is a Thunder fan. His last tweet was a reply to Steph Curry who welcomed DeMarcus Cousins to the Warriors by jokingly insisting that he’s now the third splash brother. Ioane showed his support for Lebron James tweeting “Yous won’t last the regular season you jokes.” Maybe a sign that like many Thunder fans he hasn’t entirely moved on from Kevin Durant’s decision. His go to meal is roast lamb with mashed potatoes and sauce, a dish that he says he cooks often with his Mum. And if you’re ever going to catch him watching a movie, it’ll most likely have Kevin Hart in it. He also says that he hates it when he gets mistaken for singer Trey Songz; and his ultimate travel destination is none other than the City of Lights – Paris. As a keen tourist being both in the Blues and the All Blacks fold it means he’s usually travelling to six different continents and eight countries throughout the year. Four of those countries being Australia, South Africa, Japan and Argentina where he travels to almost every week for Super Rugby matches.It’s a hefty schedule for a guy still at the dawn of his career but is gratifying nonetheless. Over the past months there has been news of potentially new contract deals for Ioane worth as much as four million dollars – money that is astronomical in the game of rugby. As Ioane continues to gain more opportunity on the global stage and looks to lead the Blues into the future, it can sometimes be difficult to know the real Rieko - because for Ioane there is more to life than just rugby.
There’s family, and behind it all, is a youngster who grew up playing water polo, basketball and competed in Athletics. An All Black who really is like any other kid challenging anyone to a game of fortnite. Ioane translates to John in English and means “God is gracious”. I guess he truly is a child blessed with logic, with a compelling life story and a humble heart.
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