Quotes

For me to get through the toughest periods in my life, I had to look within to find the energy to do it. I don't give up. Never have. Never will.

Each haka has its own interpretation, but you have to make sure you are in unison with your team-mates; the haka should be a proper war cry.

The biggest thing for me is just to get out on that field. Just to do that will be incredible.

It's been a long road back to health and fitness for me. I am just glad to have been given the opportunity to do what I love most.

How do I take a step? How do I lift my foot off the ground, move it through the air a little bit and then bring it down? I had to teach myself to walk again.

I thought about dying whenever I got bad news about other people.

I have crooked toes from wearing boots that didn't fit me because that's all I could afford as a kid.

I have a stab wound on my left hip and one on my thigh and a slash mark across my right calf. I have a bottle stab wound on my left calf.

I am very excited to be here in Wales and look forward to putting on the Cardiff Blues shirt.

I always say to people that you have never seen the best of me, and that's what I mean - I've never been fully fit.

It's a really exciting time to be involved in Welsh rugby.

It annoys me when people who don't know what they're talking about boo the referee.

I went to a boarding school with a strong Maori tradition, where we were taught all about the haka.

I was only operating at about 80% of my capacity.

I was diagnosed with the illness right before the 1995 World Cup.

It was like falling off a building and suddenly, bang, you hit the bottom. The first time it happened was on an ordinary day at home. I was taking down some curtains. I took one step, turned around, took another step and then I fell and hit my head hard on the rowing machine.

It was in 2003 that I realised there was no choice but to have dialysis treatment - by the time of the World Cup that year, I could barely walk. A year later, I finally had a kidney transplant.

I was this guy who'd been racing around down there, on that field in 1999, running straight over people, scoring tries, winning games, having fun. And I ended up so sick I couldn't even run past a little baby.

I was on dialysis for 18 months before the transplant, so it was important I tried to look ahead to days like my comeback this Saturday. You need those big goals to drive you on.

Until 1998, I worked in marketing at ASB bank. I loved it.

When I was playing I felt tired all the time. My recovery period was a lot longer than the other players. They'd be ok after an hour - I'd have to stay in bed till the next session.

Towards the end of 2003 it was hard to get through training - and the darkest point was when a doctor told me there was a possibility I could end up in a wheelchair.

Looking back, my whole life seems so surreal. I didn't just turn up on the doorstep playing rugby; I had to go through a whole lot of things to get there.