The happiest in the household however was Thomson,the devoted Scottish granny who gets up to watch all their games and routinely gets thanked on Scottish rugby chat forums whenever a Tuipulotu plays a blinder.
“As you can imagine,naturally I am very proud of them. It is almost unbelievable,” Thompson told this masthead. “It’s beyond our wildest dreams.”
Former Melbourne Rebels player Sione Tuipulotu with his Scottish grandmother Jaqueline ‘Anne’ Thomson.
Thomson grew up in Greenock,outside Glasgow,but emigrated to Australia and built a new life in Frankston,in south-east Melbourne. Though the Tuipulotu boys grew up dreaming of playing for Australia,they were also eligible for Tonga (through their father) and have Scottish-Italian heritage on their mother Angelina’s side.
Both Sione and Mosese played junior representative rugby for Australia,but with limited game time for the Rebels and Waratahs respectively,both ended up in Scotland,representing their grandmother.
“We are very,very close. They have always been good to me,and very respectful and kind. What else could I be but proud of them?” Thomson said.
Mosese Tuipulotu only played five games for the Waratahs.Credit:Waratahs Rugby
“I love a game and I always watch when they’re playing during the night. It’s usually at 3am in the morning. But that’s fine – I love it. It’s a chance to see them,too. Because I miss them.”
Tuipulotu said the news his younger brother Mosese had also been called up to the Scotland squad almost matched his appointment as skipper. Former Wallabies flanker Jack Dempsey is also in the squad.
Mosese departed the Waratahs at the end of the season to play for Edinburghafter several years of pursuit by the Scottish Rugby Union. The centre,who played for the Australian under-18s,turned the SRU down to re-sign with NSW in 2023,but he was given limited opportunities,with just five Super Rugby caps in the last two years. After just 12 minutes off the NSW bench last season,Mosese moved to Edinburgh,where he has since started in four games.
“The most emotional phone call I’ve ever had was Gregor phoning me to tell me I’ll be Scotland captain,but when he phoned to say my brother would be included was a pretty close second,” Sione Tuipulotu told reporters in Scotland.
“He’s very similar to me. He’s the most competitive guy I’ve ever met,and I know if his number’s called upon,he will take it with both hands and he’ll play with his heart. To be honest,we always joke about this,but my gran back home,her favourite’s always been Mosese.
“I know my gran will be so proud of him and I’m really looking forward to getting to work with him.
“She has a thick Scottish accent,so I always knew I was Scottish. She played a massive part in me and my siblings’ upbringing. My parents used to work pretty hard when we were younger so they were at work ... we would go and stay over at my grandma’s house.”
Loading
The loss of the Tuipulotu brothers – and Sione’s elevation to captain and likely selection for the British and Irish Lions next year – will renew questions about the gaps in Rugby Australia’s talent retention system.
Particularly given a third brother,Ottavio,played hooker in the Junior Wallabies this year and is in the Waratahs’ system,and his older brothers said recently they’re keen to get him to Scotland,too.
Sione Tuipulotu is the second Australian to captain Scotland,after former Wallaby Doug Keller also led the Scots in 1949.
Sports news,results and expert commentary.Sign up for our Sport newsletter.