'Bit of unfinished business' - Scotland star keen on Lions reunion with Australia

Sione Tuipulotu believes he has “unfinished business” with Australia and would love to to tour there with the British and Irish Lions next summer and show them what they are missing.

The Scotland centre was born in Frankston, Victoria, and played Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels and was capped by Australia at under-20 level. His career then took him to Japan but he moved to Scotland in summer 2021 to sign for Glasgow Warriors where he has flourished, helping them win the United Rugby Championship.

He qualifies for Scotland through his grandmother from Greenock and has now been capped 27 times, co-captaining them in the summer. He has ambitions to be part of the Lions tour but is reluctant to look too far ahead, a philosophy that has worked well with him since coming to this country. Clearly, though, going back to Australia would be special for the centre.

Sione Tuipulotu has the Lions in his sights. | SNS Group

“It would be the biggest thing ever,” he said. “I don't want this to sound weird, but I believe in God and I believe in all these things lining up for me since I've got to Scotland. I believe that's one of the things that have lined up. I would love to have an opportunity to go over there and play them with a bit of unfinished business. I left Australia, to be honest, a little bit angry. I don't have the same anger, but I still have that same competitiveness to want to go back there and play them. It would be unreal.”

When he arrived in Scotland in 2021, some of his new Glasgow team-mates had just returned from the Lions tour to South Africa and it gave him an inkling of what it might be like to play for the composite side.

“I feel hesitant talking about that stuff just because it's a long way away,” Tuipulotu, 27, added. “When I first came here, the boys had just come off the Lions tour, Ali [Price] and Zander [Fagerson], who went on the tour.

“To think that when I arrived, I couldn't even imagine that four years later or whatever, I could be in contention to possibly go on this tour. But things have worked out however they've worked out. Obviously, for myself, it is one of my goals. I want to be a Lion.”