Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii

There's not been many athlets and talents capture the Rugby world quite like Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.

Suaalii emerged on the scene as one of the brightest prospects in Australian Rugby after dazzling in every sport he played, starring for Kings in the GPS competition.

He helped Australia U18s take down New Zealand Schools in 2019 in a side that included Wallabies Josh Flook, Billy Pollard and Tom Hooper, eventually making the move to the Sydney Roosters.

Suaalii signed with Australian Rugby and the NSW Waratahs in March 2023, joining the Wallabies training group after a decorated NRL career that saw him play for NSW and Samoa.

He was named in Joe Schmidt's end-of-season Spring Tour squad in 2024 and made his debut for the Wallabies before even playing for the NSW Waratahs.

The selection gamble was a masterstroke: he won the player-of-the-match award against England at Twickenham, a triumphant 42-37 victory for the Wallabies, and was quickly rocketed into worldwide stardom.

Suaalii had a successful first season in Super Rugby Pacific for the NSW Waratahs, being named in the team-of-the-season at fullback. This earned him selection for the Wallabies squad to take on the British & Irish Lions Tour, where he started in all three Tests, providing two important try assists.

His form continued into the Rugby Championship, scoring three tries in two games against Argentina.

Injuries affected his 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, but returned in time for the Nations Championship.