Rugby: Timoci Tavatavanawai – the perfect hybrid weapon?

Highlander’s wrecking ball Timoci Tavatavanawai tops the list of potential hybrids.
Photo: Photosport

Is rugby entering a hybrid era?

The Crusaders’ successful experiment of moving Leicester Faingaʻanuku from centre to seven has opened imaginations across Super Rugby Pacific.

Faingaʻanuku had dabbled in the loosies earlier, but his first start at openside flanker against NSW Waratahs produced a man-of-the-match performance.

His transition naturally prompts the question, who else fits the mould of a hybrid?

One player who shoots to the top of that list is Highlanders wrecking ball Timoci Tavatavanawai.

A nightmare for both defences and attacks, the mighty midfielder is often seen hovering around rucks.

He says he would welcome a move to the pack.

“If they give me the opportunity to play seven, I wouldn’t say no,” he said. “I’ll do the job.

“It’s all about that – if they gave me the opportunity to have a crack, I’ll do it and I’ll do the best of my ability.”

Known as ‘Jim the Difference’, Tavatavanawai is a menace at breakdowns, and has been at or near the top of the Super Rugby turnover charts for the past several seasons.

He said he thrives in the brutality of rucks.

“I love it.”

Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph felt Tavatavanawai had all the qualities of a hybrid player.

“I think Jim could play anyway,” he said. “That [Faingaʻanuku’s switch] was really good to see actually.

“I didn’t think he would play so well, but just the quality of the rugby player, transferable skills, good around the tackle, ball carry, offload in the breakdown. We’ve got a couple of guys like that, but perhaps the other way, forwards out to the backs.

“You never know.”

Does skipper Ethan de Groot fancy himself in the backline?

“I doubt it, but I reckon if we could teach Jim how to throw a ball, he’d probably be the best hooker in the world.”

The Highlanders are preparing for their first appearance at Te Kaha Stadium on Sunday, as they meet embattled Moana Pasifika.

The news the franchise was folding was devastating for Tavatavanawai, who landed his first Super Rugby contract with the Pacific Islanders.

“That’s where I started,” he said. “To see them go down that path, it’s gutting.”

A star of the side in its early days, Tavatavanawai’s form saw him signed in the deep south and even make his All Black debut in 2025.

He credits Moana Pasifika for it all.

“They gave me the first kind of opportunity to the bigger picture that I was chasing. Super Rugby was on my bucket list, it had always been a dream of mine to play in a New Zealand Super Rugby franchise and that was the start of it.

“They believed in me and gave me the opportunity to be seen by the light, and to see it go down this way, I do feel that it’s a big setback.”

His introduction to test rugby has left a burning desire to return to the international stage.

“The hunger’s always going to be there,” he said. “For me, it’s just getting my body right and staying out of injury, and keep playing the way I play, so the coaches can see me and give me a crack.”

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