Tuipulotu aiming to eclipse her dad's World Cup record

WALES prop Sisilia Tuipulotu is on a mission to beat her father Sione’s achievement of playing at two different World Cups.

- PHIL BLANCHE

Tuipulotu senior represented Tonga at the 1999 and 2007 men’s World Cups, but spent five years of his career in Wales in the early 2000s at Caerphilly and the Newport-Gwent Dragons.

Rugby is in the family blood as Sisilia’s brother Kepu played for England at this summer’s World Under-20 Championship and her cousin Carwyn plays for French Top-14 side Pau. Other cousins include Wales and British Lions number eight great Taulupe Faletau and England’s Vunipola brothers.

“It’s really cool to have people doing this before me,’ said Tuipulotu, 22, who has recovered from hamstring surgery to make Wales’ World Cup opener against Scotland in Salford on Saturday. “To have that support there from my family really means a lot. I’m grateful to have them. My dad set the bar on World Cups, but I want to try and beat what he’s done. So we'll see how that goes.