When Nathan Hughes woke up on Monday morning, his phone was flooded with notifications.
The former England No 8 now lives with his English wife Alanna in Paris, where the clocks are 10 hours behind those back home in Fiji. ‘I got out of bed and my wife said, “Have you seen?”,’ Hughes tells Daily Mail Sport.
In the early hours of the morning, the 34-year-old who plays for Racing 92, was named in Fiji’s training squad for this summer’s Nations Championship. ‘I hadn’t seen anything,’ adds Hughes, who is eligible to represent his home nation after completing a ‘three-year stand-down’ since his last England Test in 2019.
‘I only found out when everyone else found out on the internet. A couple of years ago I was asked if I wanted to play for Fiji and I said “Yes” straight away. I received a couple of text messages asking if I had a Fijian passport and all these other documents.
‘I hadn’t spoken to the Fiji coaches for a long time so when I saw my name in the media on Monday, it was very emotional and overwhelming,’ he adds in his soft southern hemisphere accent, no different to when he left Fiji as a 17-year-old. ‘It was special. I’m a big believer in God and I spoke to my parents and we said it’s His plans.
‘It’s like taking me back to day one, when I started playing in Fiji as a young teenager in Lautoka (on the west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island) playing touch on the roundabout with a bottle or a coconut. It’s gone right around the world and come back to where it started.’
Nathan Hughes is now playing in Paris for Racing 92, and this week won his first call-up for Fiji
Hughes in action for England against the country of his birth in 2016. He won 22 caps under Eddie Jones
Hughes (centre) with friends back home in Fiji, which he left as a 17-year-old
Hughes has been a huge hit with Racing 92 in Paris, where he signed a two-year deal last July
In a twist of fate, Hughes, who played for Wasps, Bristol and Bath in the Premiership, could now line up for Fiji against England in this summer’s Nations Championship Test at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. Now sporting reggae-style dreadlocks inspired by Ma’a Nonu, it would pitch him against his former England lineout coach, Steve Borthwick, and old team-mates such as Ben Earl and Tom Curry.
‘It would be mind-blowing to play against England,’ says Hughes. ‘The emotion leading up to that week would be massive. It would feel like a dream come true. I moved to England in 2015 and wanted to play in the World Cup, but I never got the call. Then England came knocking and I took the opportunity with two hands. Making my debut at Twickenham against South Africa was one of the biggest days of my life.
‘I enjoyed my time in the white jersey, getting 22 caps. I enjoyed working with Eddie Jones. He was tough at times, very old school, but I enjoyed it. If you didn’t pull your weight, you’re out.
‘I once turned up to a camp at 132kg and he said, “Come on mate, I need to see those ribs”. He pushed me to be disciplined in the off-season with what I eat and drink and how I recover. He was tough at times but he just wanted to bring the best out of people. I still keep in touch with him, he texts me now and then asking: “How’s the Top 14, mate?”
‘The game is only getting faster and Eddie changed my mindset of how I think and how I prepare. As a No 8 you want as many involvements as possible, you want to be in good nick.’
Hughes was a solid England player but had the misfortune of competing with the formidable Billy Vunipola, another player from the southern hemisphere, for the No 8 jersey.
He has impressed since his move to Racing 92, where he signed a two-year contract last July and faces stiff competition to make Fiji’s starting team. But he is among a long-list of players around the world who are being targeted for a return to their Pacific Island roots. Countries such as Fiji, Tonga and Samoa have watched their players represent Tier One nations over the past decade and there is a movement to bring them home.
‘In the Top 14, we’ve got 15-plus players who are playing for Fiji,’ adds Hughes. ‘There’s a lot of talent and experience they can take back to the Fijian team. Jiuta Wainiqolo is top try-scorer, Josua Tuisova, Vilimoni Botitu. Levani Botia is still going strong at 37 and people are reviewing him every week. Peceli Yato and Leone Nakawara are still going well.
Hughes missed out on the 2019 World Cup squad and has not played for England since
After leaving Bristol, he spent three years in Japan with Black Rams Tokyo and had a brief spell at Urayasu D-Rocks
‘Whenever Fiji get together, they always start with a prayer and sing songs. You go out to war together and after you sit down and celebrate by drinking kava (Fiji’s non-alcoholic national drink) around the bowl. When you watch it, you feel like you’re in that circle.
‘When I’m watching Fiji on TV and the national anthem’s going, I still sing along with it. Someone asked me on Monday if I still remember the national anthem and I said, “Yeah mate, it’s engrained in me”.
And no wonder. Hughes still has family back home in Lautoka, the town which is known as ‘sugar city’ because it has the country’s largest sugar mill. His uncle works in the industry.
‘Introducing the (Fijian-based) Drua to Super Rugby has brought through a lot of young talent, so I’m not going cry about it if I don’t get selected. If it’s God’s will for me to play for Fiji, then it’ll happen and it would mean everything.
‘If I can add something to the team, then I would be more than happy to do that. It would mean a lot for my mum and dad. If I get this opportunity to play for the country I was born in, then it will be something I can hold to my heart and share with my grandchildren.’
SIX ENGLAND PLAYERS WHO COULD SWITCH ALLEGIANCE
Billy Vunipola
England’s talismanic No 8 is eligible for Tonga having not played a Test since the 2023 World Cup. He has been a regular starter for Montpellier in the Top 14 and has been asked to switch allegiance by Bordeaux prop Ben Tameifuna.
David Ribbans
The 30-year-old lock has been labelled the ‘King of Toulon’ since leaving Northampton for the south of France. Having not played for England since the 2023 World Cup, his dominant displays as Toulon captain have forced the South Africa-born lock into Springbok selection debates.
Manu Tuilagi
Currently playing for Bayonne in the Top 14, the powerhouse centre could follow in his brothers’ footsteps and represent Samoa. The island team almost missed out on World Cup qualification and would welcome his skills and experience.
Former England centre Manu Tuilagi is playing for Bayonne in the Top 14 and could choose to represent Samoa
Jack Willis
Since Wasps were declared bankrupt, Willis has become a fan-favourite for European heavyweights Toulouse. Willis would be an asset to any international team and would be eligible for Ireland selection if they made special dispensation to select an overseas-based player.
Mako Vunipola
The veteran prop will move to Leicester for one final season and could play his way into Tonga contention with his brother, Billy. He has also been touted as a potential coach.
Alfie Barbeary
Despite his standout performances for Bath, the curly-haired No 8 has still not been capped by England. He has Irish heritage and, like Willis, would be eligible to play for Andy Farrell’s teams if they loosened their overseas selection rules.
