Bundee Aki reveals the secret to his outstanding Rugby World Cup form

Ireland centre Bundee Aki believes the people he is surrounded by helped him go from missing out on Connacht selection to being named the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland’s Player of the Year.

It was a sensational upturn for Aki through his brutal physicality and ability to burst through the line that turned him into a standout player at the Rugby World Cup in France last year.

“Special” award

The robust star is the first player from Connacht to win the writers award since Eric Elwood in 1992/1993 whom Aki quickly acknowledged.

“Yeah, that is special, especially when you have the likes of Eric Elwood, he’s a legend of Connacht and to be given this award is unbelievably humbling,” he said.

“It has been quite a journey. I’m quite lucky to be surrounded by such good people and such good teammates, to be able to stay here for over a decade.

“I haven’t looked back once. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, and when you’re enjoying it, you just get down to the work and do what you need to do.”

Aki’s exploits at the World Cup earned him a spot in the Dream Team as well a nomination for World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year meaning he had to head back to Paris after the final – the same city Ireland’s dreams were dashed by the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.

He thanked his wife for her support before admitting that sports can be cruel at times.

“It was tough, I’d say that, just for the mere fact that you’re going back to a city where you’ve just lost a quarter-final, and you’re trying to get over it,” added Aki.

“But I thank my wife for giving me so much support. She’s the reason why I could hold my head up and go there and show my face.

“It’s an achievement in itself and at the time I said ‘OK, I should be there’. But my wife was a big help in that.

“For myself, I felt disappointed for the long-serving players like Johnny (Sexton) and Earlsy (Keith Earls), and I asked myself what more could I have done.

“But it could easily have been the bounce of a ball. That’s just sport. Sport is cruel, but I certainly think the boys gave a bit of joy to a lot of supporters and a lot of kids. That was the feedback we got and as a sportsperson you want that, to see kids pick up a rugby ball and enjoy the sport.

“But you can’t get away from the fact that we didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve. We wanted to get to that goal as a group and we certainly believed that we could have got there.”

Big change in form

At the end of the 2022/23 club season, it was unclear where Aki stood in the Ireland pecking order having missed the last couple of games for Connacht but the centre claims that faith shown by people around him helped him find a spark.

“I think it just comes down to you going back to what you know best, and surround yourself with good people,” he said.

“To be surrounded by good friends and good coaches, it goes a long way, and then you’ve got the stronghold of your support, which is your family, and you lean on them most of the time.

“Andy and all the management have played a massive part in my career.

“The amount of faith they’ve put in me and the amount of trust they’ve put in me and the team, you want to play for people that trust you, you want to put your best foot forward and not let them down, and make sure that you play the best you can.

“Look, I try to not think of it in terms of the best (form) of my career. I’m just doing the same thing that I’ve been trying to do week in, week out, and obviously when you have such an abundance of talent around you within the group, they make you look good.

“I’m quite lucky that I have guys around me who make me look good. You look at the team that’s there. One of Ireland’s best players ever is Johnny Sexton, and when you have a guy like him trying to lead and making you look good and making things look so easy, you’re only doing your job.

“You’re only doing exactly what you’re meant to do. It’s all thanks to the guys who are around you.”

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