Fiji’s 113kg powerhouse should not be able to reach this top speed at his size
There cannot be many more scary sights in all of rugby than seeing Fiji and (former) Lyon centre Josua Tuisova running directly at you.
We all knew that the 29-year-old was quick, and with legs like two oil drums we all knew he was powerful, but fans got a glimpse of his top speed recently, and it is frankly frightening.
Up against Bordeaux-Begles at the Stade Gerland, Tuisova started and eventually finished a move from deep within his own half. The passage of play started with a break through the heart of the Bordeaux defence, where French TV tracked his speed. The Fijian reached a top speed of 34 kilometres per hour before passing.
Now there are players quicker than that, the All Blacks’ Rieko Ioane and Wales’ Louis Rees-Zammit have both been tracked nearing 39 kilometres per hour, but neither are carrying the same frame as Tuisova (although Ioane is not exactly small). So that is like Rees-Zammit trying to run at top speed while carrying a mini fridge. The fact that the centre can get anywhere near their pace helps explain why he is such a devastating ball carrier.
Take a look at the run:
Un Josua Tuisova Stratosphérique 💪🔥🔥 #rugby #LOUUBB pic.twitter.com/yYm6iQrVwv
— YvanduRugby (@RUGBYSUDO) June 4, 2023
Tuisova was included in Simon Raiwalui’s 45-man Fiji squad that will prepare to face Tonga, Samoa and Japan next month in the build up to the World Cup. When the final squad is picked, Tuisova will surely be one of the first players selected.
“The ultimate goal is the Rugby World Cup,” Raiwalui said. “We got Tonga first here at home and they are a well-experienced team as they got some new players this year. Then we move on to Samoa and Japan. Those matches are in our region. We have a week off and then we will fly to Europe to play France and England which are great matches to play leading into the World Cup.”
