Alisa Tunamena: Greater Northern Tigers forward talks family, footy and community

Greater Northern Tigers forward Alisa Tunamena is the product of such a serendipitous meeting, after her mother met her father while holidaying in Fiji in the mid-90s and brought the Fijian to her hometown of Glen Innes to live.

"Mum went over [to Fiji] for a holiday, they met and fell in love," Tunamena said of her parents, Rachel and Joe, who were married in Fiji before settling in Glen Innes.

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There, the couple raised four children.

In January, they returned to Fiji for the first time since the pandemic began.

Tunamena said her father's extended absence from his homeland made him "a bit upset". But once back on Fijian spoil "it all went away", she said of his negative emotions.

Tunamena also feels a strong connection with the tiny South Pacific nation, where she has a "huge" extended family.

"So many aunties, uncles, cousins," she said.

"It's so good going over and seeing the culture [and] having Dad there. You know, when we can't understand what they're saying, he translates it for us," she also said.

The Tigers are the beneficiaries of Rachel and Joe's devotion to their children's sporting pursuits while growing up.

And at Gulgong on Saturday afternoon, Tunamena will line up for the Tigers against the Western Ram in a round two Country Championships clash. She will move from prop to second-row for the match - taking the place of her 26-year-old sister, Amelia, who has another commitment.

Both sisters played in the Tigers' 30-4 loss to the Knights at Jack Woolaston Oval last weekend.

"They're great," Tunamena said of her parents. "They support us with everything.

"I remember when we were younger. They used to take us everywhere. Anything to do with sport, they were there, which was great."

The support Tunamena and Amelia receive from the Glen Innes community is also appreciated. Tunamena said the town's sense of community was its most appealing trait.

"It's just such a nice, small, tight community," she said. "Like, when someone achieves something big, everyone gets around them. It's definitely a very good place to live in."

Tunamena plays league tag for the Glen Innes Magpies. Prior to last Saturday, her previous rugby league outing predated the pandemic: she played for the Tigers in Coffs Harbour.

She admitted to being "very nervous" ahead of the Knights clash. But upon making her first tackle, those nerves "went out the window" and it "felt like old times", she said.

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