Not good enough and you will never make it. Despite being told this, Tesimale Joseph Niupulusu has proved everyone wrong. He is the boy who started playing rugby with a water bottle in Savaii and is now a professional athlete in the United States.

Born in California, he grew up playing in the village of Vaiola in Savaii and now he has embarked on a professional rugby career by signing a contract with Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby. 

The 24-year-old has links fromFaleula, Amaile, Samatau and Fasitoo-Tai.

"I moved to Samoa when I was six-years-old and that's when I first picked up a rugby ball.  I fell in love with the sport and wanted to know more," he told the Samoa Observer.

"I would join the village kids who played touch rugby every afternoon. We would sometimes use a slipper or a plastic water bottle filled with grass as our rugby ball. That is how passionate kids back home are about the sport. 

"I played my first official rugby match when I joined our school Under-14 team at the age of 11. From that time forward, I had that dream of wanting to become a professional rugby player."

Tesimale grew up being a fan of Julian Savea for his powerful runs and hits. He too wanted to play like his idol.

He trained hard and at 15 he joined the Toa Samoa Residents and later played for the school Under 18 team . In 2018, he graduated from Vaiola College and went on to serve two years as a Latter Day Saints missionary.

These were the only two years, Tesimale hung his rugby boots.

After finishing his mission in 2022, he returned home and decided to move to the United States for more opportunities to provide for his family and explore his future.

"When I moved to Utah, I wanted to get back into rugby but it was difficult because I did not know anyone at all, I wasn't in good shape, and I hadn’t played the sport for almost three years," he recalled.

"I had to put in the work and started searching for small clubs I could join because I still held on to that passion for the game. I ended up joining the Salt Lake City Gladiators ( a Samoan rugby club), had a good season with them and I also started playing College rugby for the Utah Valley University in 2023 and also rugby league with the URLA. 

"After building up more experience and getting back into the game, I've decided to take my game to the next level and joined a pathway program for a professional Major League Rugby team. After days of grinding and hard work, I was blessed and fortunate enough to sign a contract with the Utah Warriors alongside other Manu Samoa players and I am excited and looking forward to learning from them."

The journey was not as smooth as Tesimale has described. There were times when faced a barrage of negativity. He said he grew up with people telling him he was not good enough.

He never lost hope and always kept his guard up because deep down inside he knew that nothing could let him down if set his sights on what he wanted to achieve.

Fast forward past that challenge, he is the one smiling.

"I had that mentality of staying positive because people can say that you can't or you won't, but you're the only one there to prove that you can and you will," he said. 

"I believed in myself despite all the negativity, surrounded myself with the right people and that's how I overcame these challenges and most importantly, putting God first."

He has high hopes that one day he will represent Samoa. His next target is the blue jersey. He believes his biggest achievement is that he's now able to prove that with a positive mindset and keeping your goals in mind, you will be successful.

He has come a long way from playing with a water bottle in the village to being part of a professional rugby team like Utah Warriors.

"There's a lot of potential local talents in Samoa and I would advise them to never give up, and believe in yourselves. Hold on to that passion or dream, make it a goal, and put the hard work into it. Know your values, figure out what matters most to you and follow it. Don't let negativity pull you down. And most importantly, your family and God always come first."

"Just a quick shoutout to my parents, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. Also to my family and friends, my hometown Vaiola. Shoutout to my fiancée for believing in me and always being there. All Glory goes to the man above."