"I think I lost my GPS to get to that point but I think that long journey may have built me up to get to this point here.”
Apolosi Ranawai's journey to Super Rugby is far from conventional, yet the 32-year-old's path is set to return home as the NSW Waratahs prepare to face the Fijian Drua in Suva.
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Ranawai is one of the feel-good stories of the year for the Waratahs in 2026, bursting through for his debut try last week against the Highlanders, a week after his professional debut.
To get there, the former Fijian U18 and U20 representative has gone through a rocky road that has tested him at every turn.
His career started in Malaysia, playing in the King's Cup tournament after moving there to use his degree in agricultural science. New Zealand beckoned as he joined Central Hawkes Bay, with All Blacks great Brodie Retallick gifting him his first pair of boots.
It wasn't until 2018 that he moved to Australia to play Rugby League for South Eastern Seagulls, a club in the South Sydney system, eventually joining Norths under Zak Beer after a stint with Warringah.
The tight-head would earn a pre-season deal with the Western Force, returning home in 2024 after a series of family emergencies.
"I think 2024 is a big low point for me because I had a son back home, and he was sick. I think I lost maybe five of my family members at that time," he explained
"I went to bury my older sister, she was a nurse. In the same period, my sister passed away, and my nephew within four days of each other. After that, I went to see my son the week after and I think I was there for nearly three or four weeks, and all these feelings just came up."
In the process of taking the year off, Ranawai's motivation grew and grew as Norths returned to the Shute Shield Final, going down to Easts.
The only problem was so did his weight.
"I saw the boys playing in that grand final, and it shattered me because I played the year before and we should’ve won that against Randwick. I messaged Zak Beer, and I said I really want to have a crack, he messaged me and said 'Can you stand on the scale’ and I was like 168 kilos," he said and smiled.
“...For me, I'm big on carbs because back in Fiji, it's quite expensive to buy meat and stuff. For my diet, you've got to eat a lot of carbs in order to get full so coming over here, if I see french fries and stuff, which is expensive back home, it's like, load it up.”
“I thank [Zak Beer] so much because he really helped me to dig myself out. The next day, he got our trainer to do a special plan for me and I just posted my training and stuff online. I was training the next day, I was just training."
He dropped over 30 kilograms and would link up with Waratahs legend Matt Dunning, who has gone under a similar transformation post-career and serves as a mentor to Ranawai to this day.
“I couldn't recognise him because he lost weight. He's been like a big brother and father figure to me lately," Ranawai remarked.
“We chat every day. We just talk about food and just talk about scrummaging. [Playing prop] is like wine, you get mature when you get old. If you want to make it at a young age, I think it's better to have a mentor and some of the things that he taught me technically-wise in scrummaging made a big contribution.”
Ranawai would join the Waratahs on a train-and-trial deal whilst making the near four-hour round-trip from Shellharbour.
He balanced his Rugby dream working with the NDIS, helping out the Score Dragons, a program designed by NRL club St George Illawarra Dragons to help people with disabilities get into sport, amongst other programs.
“Three months ago, I finished, but I told them they can call me any time. I just tell them my availability but it's quite hard during the season. It's good and I really like it," he said.
“I think it's not for everyone, but I really like it. You get paid to be their friend for the day. It's pretty cool.”
Like his journey to the Waratahs, his road to Super Rugby was far from easy.
He'd grind his way into the squad through Super Rugby AUS, battling his way into the squad for the 2026 season as he earned his debut off the bench against his old side, Western Force.
His mindset remains the same as he savours every moment.
“I think if you think about getting to this point, there's no recipe or any shortcut to get to this point. It's sacrifice, cries, tears, blood and shredded tears. I think hard work is the only way to get to this point; there's no shortcut," he believes.
“There's no GPS around it, mate. Maps just shows you've got to go through a wall in order to get to this point.
“My mindset is it’s my last game. I’ve been here six months now and not getting picked round one or two, it’s in your head when you get that opportunity, this is it.
“I'm just a well-coached player. I call myself an average player, but I’m just well-coached. I think that's my mindset I was talking about, play until your last game.”
His dream run has him on the verge of returning home to Fiji for Saturday's must-win game against the Drua in Suva.
Ranawai has already been inundated with requests for tickets, with over 100 friends and family set to make the trip from their village, Korovuto, in Nadi.
“For me, it's quite a long journey to get to this point here, a village boy back in Fiji just growing up and watching this telly playing footy one day was one of my dreams and two weeks ago I achieved that dream," he added.
If he does get the chance to run out on Saturday, there's no doubt his GPS will be back on track.
