JOSH Kaifa has a whatever-it-takes mentality in his pursuit of becoming a professional rugby union player.
The 20-year-old rising star made a brave decision 18 months ago to leave his native Auckland and settle in Melbourne for better opportunities in the game.
Kaifa, who now lives in Kings Park and plays with Footscray in the Victorian Rugby Union, saw a clearer path to the top than the dog-eat-dog system for youths back in his native New Zealand.
“Back in Auckland, you’re just another rugby player,” he said. “Moving here, I’m getting more of an opportunity.
“With the Rebels starting up, I saw it as a good opportunity to make a name for myself while I was young.”
Kaifa is not regretting the move for one minute.
The talented flanker turned heads from the moment he set foot on Henry Turner Reserve.
He is a permanent fixture in the Footscray first team in the Premier 1 Dewar Shield, which is on the verge of playing in the finals.
And he recently captained Victoria to an unexpected title at the under-20 interstate carnival.
Kaifa’s team blew away their much-fancied rivals in all three matches, including a 42-5 drubbing of Queensland Country in the final.
“They [Victoria] usually don’t do well in this competition,” Kaifa said.
“The scores we won by were quite overwhelming.
“We all knew we had what it took to win and we all came ready to play.”
Kaifa said Victoria was given little respect before it arrived on the Gold Coast for the tournament.
But it certainly departed with a burgeoning reputation as a state to watch from now on.
“They saw that we had come from down south and thought we couldn’t play the game,” he said.
“They looked down on us. It just shows what we can do.”
Kaifa has rugby in the bloodline. He is a cousin of Wallabies international Tatafu Polota-Nau.
“It just clicked for me that I wanted to be a professional rugby player when I met him,” Kaifa said.
Kaifa, known for his speed, athleticism and leadership, is aware of what he needs to do to get closer to his dream.
He says he is “on the small side for my position” and has linked up with a strength and conditioning coach to get his body stronger.
He wants to make it into the Rebels’ rising set-up.
Bulldogs coach Junior Naufahu is confident Kaifa has what it takes to go all the way.
“If he keeps it up, the sky is the limit,” he said.
“He’s a young bloke with a lot of pace, gets to the breakdown quick and sets the standard for the older guys with his leadership and his tackling.”
