If youve been to a Wests Tigers NSW Cup game this year you would have heard the name Taqele Naiyaravaro.
While the Fijian winger has barged his way over the line 20 times this year, he was faced with the unbelievable task of delivering his first-born child last Thursday.
Naiyaravaro and his wife Ethel celebrated the birth of Ella last week but not without a scare along the way.
On Thursday morning we went to hospital and we were told that she was too early and to go back home, Naiyaravaro said.
As soon as we got home at midday she started feeling the contractions and they kept on coming and coming.
I just thought that if we got into a car or called an ambulance it would be too late, so I just had to deliver it."
Known as Big-T amongst teammates, Taqele was taken aback with the experience just two days out from last weekends game against Auckland.
It was very nerve-wracking, I thought I was going to faint. I was shocked; I didnt know what to do, Naiyaravaro said.
I had the ambulance on the phone at the same time to, so they were talking me through what to do.
I am a very proud dad, Ella is my first child so very proud.
It was a very unexpected delivery but I just had to man up, be a true dad and just deliver it.
It was a mad feeling but I was still a bit traumatised through the game on Saturday, I was a bit lost.
I was happy that everything went well though and that put my mind at ease a bit."
Naiyaravaro will line-up on the wing again this Saturday against Newcastle in the curtain raiser to the NRL match between the Wests Tigers and Melbourne.
While the Fijian winger has barged his way over the line 20 times this year, he was faced with the unbelievable task of delivering his first-born child last Thursday.
Naiyaravaro and his wife Ethel celebrated the birth of Ella last week but not without a scare along the way.
On Thursday morning we went to hospital and we were told that she was too early and to go back home, Naiyaravaro said.
As soon as we got home at midday she started feeling the contractions and they kept on coming and coming.
I just thought that if we got into a car or called an ambulance it would be too late, so I just had to deliver it."
Known as Big-T amongst teammates, Taqele was taken aback with the experience just two days out from last weekends game against Auckland.
It was very nerve-wracking, I thought I was going to faint. I was shocked; I didnt know what to do, Naiyaravaro said.
I had the ambulance on the phone at the same time to, so they were talking me through what to do.
I am a very proud dad, Ella is my first child so very proud.
It was a very unexpected delivery but I just had to man up, be a true dad and just deliver it.
It was a mad feeling but I was still a bit traumatised through the game on Saturday, I was a bit lost.
I was happy that everything went well though and that put my mind at ease a bit."
Naiyaravaro will line-up on the wing again this Saturday against Newcastle in the curtain raiser to the NRL match between the Wests Tigers and Melbourne.
