One of the toughest sports in the world is undoubtedly Rugby.
Rugby great Tana Umaga is the former captain of the New Zealand national Rugby team, the All Blacks.
Graham Henry named him as All Blacks captain in 2004; under his leadership the All Blacks won 19 of their 21 games including the clean sweep of the British and Irish Lions and the Grand Slam in 2005. At the end of 2005, after 74 Test caps (where he scored 36 tries), Umaga retired from international rugby.
He officially retired as a player at the end of 2011 ITM cup season.
Since then, his new love has been Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! He has been training BJJ for 13 years and was yesterday promoted to black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. Umaga has even competed in BJJ and took silver at the world masters at brown belt Masters 4 Super heavyweight!
He wrote this about his black belt promotion:
“Wow, so humbled to achieve a goal that at times I didn’t think I would ever reach. A goal that has been in my mind since starting the art 13 years ago.
Receiving my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt.
From my first class that @hoppa500 took me to at @bjjnz and meeting Geoff Grant – to walking into @toulonjjb and professor Julien Gaillard submitting me about 10 times in my first class. The thrill that first sucked me in has kept me hooked on the art ever since!
There are so many other people that I need to acknowledge:
Firstly, shout out to Michael Fooks @Ground Control BJJ & MMA and Andrew Craven, the first coaches & club I attended when I came back to NZ from France. Special mention to @johnwillbjj who awarded me my blue belt…I ended up taking a two-year break the very next day! Thank you to Andrew Craven of Zero-Gravity BJJ for chasing me up and encouraging me to get back into it once we moved into the city. Pedro Pacheco Fernandes of @tukahabjjnz who allowed me to train and then finding my home at @sorrisobjj.
So thankful to Paulo @sorrisonz and the environment he’s created along with our senior members. It’s awesome. To my club-mates for pushing and assisting me as well as our new direction with @alliancejjaklme and the unbelievable knowledge of @johnnysd . So amazing to be a part of this new big Alliance family. @alliancesandiego.
Thank you to my family who’ve put up with me practicing on them!!
A long journey to get here and a goal I set myself as a white belt to achieve before I was 50 years old. When I became a purple belt I didn’t want to become a black belt because you realise how much you don’t know! Now I’ve achieved this milestone, I know how much I still have to learn and I look forward to continuing my learning journey. In a way, it feels like I’ve just begun. Love it!!
Shout out to the 5:45AM crew who make getting up that early in the morning fun and worth it. Let’s keep it on!?
Fa’alogo Tana🥋🖤”
Umaga competing and medalling at IBJJF world masters:
Umaga is not the only rugby star that trains BJJ:
Australian Rugby Superstar David Pocock Crosstraining BJJ
Kron Gracie Teaches Jiu-Jitsu To Professional Rugby Players In Australia
Tana at the Andre Galvao and Josh Hinger seminar:
Tana in a BJJ competition as a white belt:
From Tana’s instagram:
